Days Beyond Us
by Azurixx
Summary: You never know what will happen in the days beyond surviving. Joel struggles into a leadership among a group of survivors. Ellie becomes conflicted and must find new desires to living. All while a murderous army arise with a dangerous vaccine. Lives will be at risk, bonds will be tested and shocking surprises will appear in this emotional journey.
1. SPRING - A New Life

**A/N: Hello fellow reader! First of all, thanks for showing interest by clicking this story. Just want to say, I'm a big fan of the game itself and love the characters of Joel and Ellie. And being a fanfic user, I've been interested in making a story based on the game. So here is my take on what happens to Joel and Ellie _after _the events of the main game. Hope you enjoy!**

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**-CHAPTER 1: A NEW LIFE-**

**-SPRING SAGA-**

"Ellie! I'm leaving now." Joel called out to her from inside his bedroom. He waited for her response, but got none. As he buttoned up his navy-blue denim shirt, he began to explore the house, curious to what she was doing.

Joel was preparing himself for watch duty that day. It was a job that helped keep him busy ever since they settled in Jackson County a few weeks ago. Tommy had been ecstatic to see them return and become a part of their community. As a welcoming gift, he offered them a house right next to his and Maria's. It wasn't too fancy: a simple one story building, built with two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, living room and even a small porch out on the front. Joel was simply glad they had a place to call home.

Walking over to the living room, Joel spotted her. Laying across the couch near the front window was Ellie. She was sporting a red flannel hoodie, dark washed jeans and black converse shoes. In her hand was a small device with headphones connecting to her ears. Noticing him, she sat up and smiled.

"You're going now?"

"Yeah." Joel responded. He eyed the device held in her hands. He had never seen it with her before. He pointed to it. "Now what's that thing you got there?"

"It's just my walkman." Ellie said, removing her earphones and handing the device to him. It was a gray, mobile cassette player with the words _Sony _labelled on it. She always had the device with her wherever she went. It wasn't until now that she started using it. "I fixed it in my spare time. You know you can listen to music with these things?"

"Heh, I know what these things do. It's pretty old compared to the cellphone I used to have." Joel said, smiling as he reminisced back to the old days. Ellie simply gave him a puzzled look. Joel explained. "Back in my day, kids at your age would smother themselves into their cellphones 24/7. It was an unhealthy habit."

"I'm sure it was."

"The point is they are _much _more high-tech than this walkman of yours." Joel handed the device back to Ellie, who still looked confused. To be born during the apocalypse, you wouldn't be familiar with the lifestyle back in the day. Instead, you were focused on surviving. To see and talk about regular objects and events of the past was strange, yet refreshing to people like Ellie.

"So how long are you going to be out?" she asked. Joel guessed he would be back late at night. Ellie sighed. This would be another day where she would be left by her lonesome. Ever since they settled into Jackson County, there was practically _nothing f_or her to do. There was no one her age that she could hang out with. She wasn't allowed to ride the horses as much, since folks were still wary about her the last time she had s_tolen _one of them. All she did was relax on their front porch and listen to her cassette on repeat. Was this how normal people lived? Sure, it was peaceful, but the boredom was torture.

"What am I going to do when you're gone?" Ellie asked.

"I'm sure you'll find something to do." Joel assured her. He knew Ellie was a bright kid. She was sure to find ways to entertain herself. He remembered the moments during their journey to the Fireflies how easily fascinated she would become. CD records, movie posters, hotels, all would catch her interest. But that was when he was with her to share the experience. Joel felt guilty leaving her alone in their house, even if it was only for a few hours. He could even see the bothered look on Ellie's face.

"You know, I haven't gotten around to teaching you how to play a guitar. How about when I get back, I'll show you how to strum a few chords."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Pinky swear on it." Ellie said, holding out her pinky towards him. Joel smiled at the gesture.

"Take care, kiddo. And no parties while I'm gone, okay?" Joel joked, wrapping his pinky around hers.

"Who would I party with?" Ellie chuckled out. The two said goodbye as Joel left for his watch duty, leaving her alone in the house. She sighed. To any other teenager, it was a gift to have the house to themselves. To Ellie, it was pure agony. She _hated _being left alone, no matter what the circumstances were.

Deciding she needed some fresh air, Ellie headed outside to the front porch. The town was peaceful in the morning. Birds chirped as the spring breeze of late May filled the air with the scent of blossoming flowers. The trees around the block covered the area, while the mountains far off in the surrounding distance was always breathtaking to look at. The neighborhood around their house was the closest depiction to what life was before the apocalypse, as the streets and houses were kept as clean as possible.

Ellie sat down on the steps of the front porch and pressed play on her walkman. Listening to her music always relaxed Ellie. Settling in a peaceful environment gave her time to think about her adventure, which was the only thing stuck on her mind lately. Ellie was happy to have someone like Joel to accompany her as they traveled across the U.S. It was arguably the best thing that happened in her life, to find someone that genuinely cared.

But there was something about him that felt off. She pictured the moment she found herself in the back seat of the truck, dressed in a hospital gown as Joel drove anxiously. Something regarding the Fireflies had happened while she was unconscious, and she knew Joel was hiding something from her.

_I swear._

He may have spoken those words, but Ellie held doubt to them. She only accepted it because she trusted Joel's decision and he meant so much to her. She thought it wasn't worth the trouble to argue. There _had t_o be a legitimate reason he got them out of the hospital in a hurry. For all she knew, he did it to protect her. But what about the Fireflies? What happened to Marlene? If they _did _stop looking for a cure, what were they doing now?

_One day I'll find out. _Ellie thought. But for now, they deserved to live a normal life. They had earned a time of serenity.

"Hey," a voice called her. Ellie looked up to see Maria walking up to her. In one of her hands was a blank, pink book and a pen. "I saw you out here by yourself and thought I'd check up on you. Where has Joel gone off to?"

"He's busy with watch duty." Ellie answered. Maria nodded and took a seat beside her. The two shared a good bond between each other. Maria was the only female figure Ellie could look up to. On the other hand, Maria viewed Ellie as if she was her niece, and was willing to be there for her when no one else could.

"Why aren't you playing with the other children?" Maria asked. "The weather is beautiful. You shouldn't waste it sitting down here all day."

"Pfft! Yeah right. Don't you _see _how much I stand out from them?" Ellie retorted. There weren't much children around in their community, and the few who were there mostly consisted of toddlers or were as mature as adults.

"I see what you mean. But Joel has told me how you would sit here all day doing nothing when he is gone. It's like something is bothering your mind and that's _all _you can focus on. You want to talk about it?"

Ellie hesitated. She was surprised how spot on Maria was. It was like she had done this type of thing before. "Did you have children before?" she suddenly asked.

"No. But I've always wanted one of my own. Tommy and I have discussed about it here and there. We just aren't sure if we'd want to bring a child into a world like this."

Ellie nodded. It would be troubling for a child to be raised and grow up in a world populated by monsters. She experienced it firsthand, after all. The strict survival rules they had to be taught and to live in constant fear of danger. But with a safe area like Jackson County, it offered a chance to forget those horrors and live a _real _life.

"You're an avid reader, right?" Maria asked. She knew Ellie was fond of reading. Occasionally she'd see her with a pile of _Savage Starlight _comics beside her on the porch, spending the majority of the day reading them. Maria handed Ellie the book and pen she was holding. "I can see the bookworm in you. You're a smart girl for your age, and it would be a shame if you wasted your life doing nothing."

Ellie took the book and opened it, giving a puzzled look as she flipped through the many blank pages. "There's nothing here to read. Why is it all empty?"

"It's a diary. Back before the apocalypse, people used these to jot down their experiences of everyday life and keep a record of them in privacy. It was a way for someone to express their feelings without the burden of being judged. This book is for _you _to write whatever is on your mind."

Ellie recalled to the time she had run away from the dam back in the fall and found herself at an abandoned ranch house. She remembered going upstairs to the bedroom and picking up a diary, reading the countless entries written inside. It talked about the struggles a normal girl went through, such as worrying about boys, or what shoes matched which skirt. It was all unfamiliar to Ellie, but fascinated her nonetheless on how live before the apocalypse was so different.

"So it's like writing my own story?" Ellie asked.

"In a way, yes. But this diary is for _your _eyes only." Maria answered. She knew a girl like Ellie would have endless thoughts and emotions running through her teenage head, and no one could be there for her all the time. This diary offered her a getaway from the world. Something Ellie needed.

"Thanks. I'm sure I'll put this to good use." Ellie assured her, giving a cheerful look. The two said goodbye as Maria left her alone on the porch. The concept of the diary intrigued Ellie, but she wasn't sure what to put for her first entry. With the open book in her hand, she tapped the pen against her chin, wondering what to write about.

"Shit. This might take a while." Ellie groaned.

* * *

"Joel! Over here!" Tommy called out, waving to his brother.

The south-side of the guard wall was located at the edge of town, running along the edge of a street. The wall was made up of sturdy concrete and metal, which took the entire winter for the town to build. Outside was a clear grassy area, eventually leading to the mountainous woods. A group of men watched over the area atop the wall. Their job was to shoot down any infected that got close or signal any suspicious activities.

"How's the area doing?" Joel asked, walking down the street and reaching the base of the wall where Tommy awaited him. He brought his backpack along with him, which was stocked with ammunition and a hunting rifle strapped into the holster.

"It's been quiet lately. But I ain't complaining." Tommy answered. He led Joel atop the wall using a nearby ladder to climb up to it.

Even though he was Joel's younger brother, Tommy was looked up to by the community of Jackson County and possessed exceptional leadership. He made the right decisions for their town, making it a safe environment. Doing things such as assisting with the hydroelectric dam to produce electricity, organizing food rations so everyone got a fair share and offering jobs to keep everyone busy created a unified group within them.

"I still gotta admit, you do know how to run things around here." Joel said, climbing on top of the guard wall and gazing out into the wilderness.

"It's the efforts of the whole community that keep this place running. It wasn't all me." Tommy answered. Joel could only chuckle at his brother's modesty.

"Always gotta be the humble one, don't you? Is that how you _wooed_ Maria?"

"Well in that case, all I did was kick up the old Texas charm to sweep her into my arms, you know what I mean?" Tommy said, playfully. The two stood there in silence for a moment, gazing out into the wilderness. This had been their routine for the past few days. Watch over the wall. Eat. Sleep. To live in an apocalypse, this was the closest to having a daytime job. Tommy decided to break the silence. "So how's Ellie doing?"

"She's fine, I guess." Joel answered.

"What do you mean fine? Is there anything wrong with her?"

Joel shrugged. He wasn't exactly sure. Ever since the two returned from Salt Lake City, Ellie seemed less talkative than usual. Occasionally, she'd be in an uplifting mood, but a majority of the time, Joel had to initiate the conversations. He recalled to their moment outside Jackson County. Ellie confronted him about her survivor's guilt and what he told her about the Fireflies giving up on a cure. Joel had lied to her and she seemed to accept it, but her expression told him otherwise.

_I made the right choice. I did it for her own good._

"You know, you never told me what happened back at the Firefly lab. Care to enlighten me?" Tommy asked. He noticed his brother was in deep thought. "What happened to the Fireflies? What did they say?"

"They...wanted to create a vaccine using Ellie. But doing so would have killed her." Joel sighed and paused for a moment. He replayed the scene in his head. His merciless rampage against the Fireflies. He did not hesitate to put a bullet through each of their heads. "So I killed them."

Tommy wasn't surprised. Knowing how the Fireflies worked, he felt they deserved their fates. The group only wanted power to overthrow the government, which Tommy was against. If any organization, such as the Fireflies, had access to a cure, there was no guarantee it would replenish the population of mankind. Something that would bring hope to humanity would only be used for greed and power. That wasn't what Tommy was striving for. He wanted to bring back the peace prior to the days of the infection.

Looking over to Joel, Tommy could see he was more content with living. He recalled to the very first days of the apocalypse. After the death of Sarah, all Joel did was sulk in his lonesome, never wanting to eat or sleep. He was so overwhelmed with grief he almost chose to end his life. Nowadays, with Ellie by his side, Joel never looked happier before. He practically had a smile on his face everyday. Tommy knew how he felt. He considered family an important driving force to living. Joel relearned this feeling through Ellie.

Tommy nodded to his brother in assurance. "You did what you had to do back there."

"I know." Joel answered. Ellie meant everything to him. She was his family now. He wouldn't let anything happen to his baby girl.

"Tommy!" a voice shouted. Joel and Tommy turned behind them, recognizing their colleague by the name of Richard. He was a bald man with a rough, gray beard in his mid-forties. He had the intimidating eyes of a hunter and had the physicality of one as well. He was part of the watch squad that patrolled the upper half of the town walls. Richard breathed heavy, panicked breaths. He spoke in a gruff voice. "We have trouble! A huge group of infected are attacking the northern part of town."

"Shit! Come on, Joel!" Tommy snapped. The both of them hurried towards the area, bringing along their men with them. It had been weeks since the town was attacked. Normally, Joel wasn't afraid of the infected.

But this time he had a reason.

* * *

The sound of the pen scribbling into the pages of her diary accompanied Ellie for the last half hour. She already finished a page and continued writing on the next. Ellie liked the concept of having her own personal book to write whatever feelings she needed to vent out. It allowed her to escape into her own world. Finishing the last few words, she proudly looked over her first diary entry.

"That should do it for today." Ellie breathed in relief. Happy with her entry, she closed the diary, wondering where to keep it. Maria told her a diary was to be kept in a private place. Ellie looked over to her backpack and shrugged. It would do for now. Zipping it open, she stored her diary in a secret pocket inside. Afterwards, she rested her head on her hands as she continued sitting on her front porch. She had the rest of the day before Joel would return. What was she supposed to do now?

_I wish something exciting would happen._

"Run away!" a voice cried out. Panicked shouting followed as a group of people ran down the street. Ellie got up and checked to see what they were running from. She couldn't believe her eyes. A few blocks down the street was a group of infected, more specifically, Runners, chasing after everyone.

"Oh, shit!" Ellie gasped. She quickly took out her switch blade, but realized it wouldn't do much against the large numbers. If only she hadn't given up her pistol when they entered Jackson County. For now, running was her only option. Ellie ran down the street with the other civilians. Along the way, she passed by Tommy's house and wondered where Maria was.

Suddenly, a Runner caught up to Ellie and tackled her to the ground. Ellie struggled against it. Using all of her strength, she was able to stab the Runner in the head, killing it and causing blood to splatter on her clothes. She threw the body off her and took a moment to catch her breath, only to allow a pair of Runners to catch up to her. Just as they attacked, a bullet pierced through both of their heads, killing them in a single shot.

"We can't sit here forever. Come on!" Maria demanded. She held her hunting rifle in one hand, helping Ellie up with the other. The two sprinted away from the Runners, following the other civilians as they ran through town. As they turned a corner, Joel's watch group reached them.

"Fill them with lead, boys!" Tommy commanded, aiming his rifle towards the group of Runners and shooting their heads off. Joel and the others followed. The next few minutes were filled with the sounds of bullets whizzing through the air and Runners screaming in pain. Ellie stepped back and watched the massacre unfold as blood sprayed everywhere. The streets were soon scattered with dead corpses. Luckily, no innocents were harmed.

"Ellie!" Joel called to her. He ran to her to see if she was injured. A look of concern covered his face when he noticed the blood sprayed on her clothes. "Baby, are you okay?"

"I'm alright, Joel. I just got a little dirty, that's all." Ellie assured him. At the same time, Tommy was checking over Maria. Joel began to question him.

"Tommy, how did a group of infected get over the town walls?"

"I'm just as clueless as you are, brother." Tommy answered. He began to shuffle back and forth, pondering about the situation. How could the infected get inside? The whole town was surrounded by the walls and were fortified to keep them out. The infected weren't smart enough to find a way to climb over the walls, neither strong to break through it.

"Tommy, you need to see this." Richard called to him. He crouched beside the corpses of one of the infected. On the back of its body was a piece of paper taped along it's back. On it, was a crudely written message in blood. It read:

_Paradise can never last forever._

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

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**A/N: And so begins a new journey within the Last of Us universe.**** I have many, and literally _many _chapters planned for this story. Things you can expect: relationships that will tug your heartstrings, new characters Joel and Ellie will come across that you will love or hate, jaw-dropping action, and twists you won't see coming! ****Just a fair warning though. I _won't_ hesitate with the shock value. I will go as far as the Content Rating will allow me to and hopefully hit you guys _right _in the feels, whether it will make you laugh or cry. Because that's what the zombie apocalypse does to you! Haha! **If you readers enjoy this story and want more, let me know!

**I intend releasing a new chapter every _Sunday_ evening, so make sure you check back for updates!**

**Thanks for reading! Bye for now! :D**

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_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~**_


	2. SPRING - Broken Paradise

**A/N: Hi readers! Just want to thank those who have offered feedback. This story has been able to catch some attention, which I'm hoping grows and motivates me to make these chapters more interesting and unique. Anyways, here is the next installment to Days Beyond Us! **

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**-CHAPTER 2: BROKEN PARADISE-**

**-SPRING SAGA-**

The entire community took awhile to calm down after the chaos. Volunteers helped clean up the mess of corpses that plagued the streets. Tommy and Maria had called a meeting with civilians who were part of the guard patrol to discuss the matter at hand. Beforehand, they inspected every inch of the wall surrounding the town. As Tommy expected, there was no signs of damage whatsoever. No guards had seen any infected enter the premise. Based on the evidence, it seemed the infected had been released from somewhere_ inside _town.

"Do you _really _think we have a traitor in town?" Joel asked Tommy. The two were discussing the issue outside of Tommy's house, a day after the incident. It was late at night. The full moon had risen high into the sky, with the stars lighting up the view. The town's streets were lit up with the lampposts powered by the energy from the hydroelectric dam.

"It's the only option that makes sense. You've seen the walls. They're all intact. There's no way the infected found a way inside by themselves." Tommy answered. He looked down to the mysterious note they found yesterday by one of his men. "Remember when Richard found this strapped onto one of the infected? This here is evidence that someone is trying to sabotage our community."

"But why attack with the infected? Seems like too much work. It'd be easier if they barged in our front doors and shot us down."

"I don't know. All we need to think about is catching this culprit." Tommy began to rub his head in stress. This whole situation was giving him a headache. He never thought someone inside their community wanted to disrupt their peace. The town was a second chance at a normal life. Why would they want it gone? "Let's talk more about this in the morning. I need some shuteye."

The two said goodnight as Tommy went inside to join Maria. Joel walked over next door back to his house. As he reached the front, he noticed Ellie sitting on top of the porch roof. She had one leg hanging off the side, the other used to keep her support on the roof. On her lap was her diary, which now contained a few pages of entries from the past days, and was gaining another entry at this moment.

"Now what's that you're writing in?" Joel asked, walking closer to her for a better look.

"It's a diary that Maria gave me." Ellie responded, her eyes still focused on the pages. Joel chuckled. He'd never thought someone like Ellie would get into a "girly" obsession. Ellie noticed his reaction and objected. "Hey, you can laugh all you want. Writing in this thing is actually fucking cool."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not making fun of you. I'm actually glad you found something to pass the time. You mind if I read what you have so far?"

"Haha, yeah right. You'd have to knock me out for that to happen."

Joel motioned her to come down. Ellie put her diary back into her bag and carefully climbed down from the porch roof, using the outer frames as a ladder. The two walked inside and prepared for a late night dinner. The townspeople hunted frequently and managed to bring many deer back in a matter of days. Tommy had given Joel a share of the venison for them to eat. After they ate, the two got ready for bed. Joel checked on Ellie in her bedroom. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, finishing up her diary entry.

_Boy, she seems addicted to that thing._ Joel thought.

"Joel, about what happened yesterday. That wasn't a normal infection attack, was it?" Ellie asked, noticing him at the doorway. Even at her age, she could understand situations like these. "Did someone try to attack us?"

"It's hard to tell, but from the looks of it, maybe." Joel answered. He walked to her bed and sat beside her. Ellie gave out a sigh, seemingly stressed. Joel questioned her. "Is something on your mind, kiddo?"

Ellie shrugged. "I'm just thinking about things. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure? Want to talk about it?" Joel asked. Ellie didn't answer, instead pondering whether she should bring up the subject about the Fireflies again. She really wanted to know what happened. But in her mind, she had a feeling it was best to leave it be, for both of their sake. Joel could see the hesitant look on her face and assured her. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

As Joel got up to leave, Ellie hit him with a question. "You would do _anything_ to protect me, no matter what the consequences, right?"

At first, Joel looked at her with a confused look. He thought it was strange for her to ask something with an answer so obvious. Ellie's eyes had a troubled look in her, as if yearning for comfort. Joel went up to her and kissed her on the forehead. "You're my baby girl. Of course I would. I swear."

"Okay."

* * *

The sound of gunfire sprung Joel awake in the middle of the night. He could hear bloodcurdling screams within the chaos outside. What in the world was going on? His first reaction was to check up on Ellie. Taking his bag along with him, he rushed to her room. His eyes widened, realizing she wasn't in bed.

"Ellie!?" Joel shouted frantically. He searched around the house, finding no signs of her. Returning to her bedroom, she found her window was open all along. Climbing out, he looked around their house as gunfire and screaming continued to erupt.

_Where the hell is she?_

"Get the _hell _away from her!" a voice shouted. He soon heard a ruckus coming from Tommy's house. Joel sprinted into their home and checked all around, eventually heading upstairs to their bedroom. He found Tommy holding a man at gunpoint against the wall, with Maria watching from behind. In an instant, Tommy put a bullet in their chest. The man's body slumped onto the floor as they died from blood loss. Tommy looked back to Maria. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine." Maria assured him.

"Tommy! What the hell is happening?" Joel demanded. Tommy shook his head. Apparently the town was being attacked again. But not by the infected. This time, it appeared to be a group of bandits.

"This guy cannot be military. He lunged at us like a wild animal." Tommy commented as he and the others looked over the dead body in front of them. This bandit sported a strange attire, unlike others they had seen before. Their entire wardrobe appeared just like any other bandit, but the feature that stood out was the black, military ballistic mask covering their face. Only it was in the shape of a skull.

"Who the _hell _are these people?" Joel breathed in shocked. He began to worry about Ellie, who was somewhere in town by herself with these men on the prowl. "Did any of you see Ellie? She wasn't in her bedroom."

"You're saying she ran off somewhere? Goddamnit!" Tommy spoke in frustration. Thing's had become too hectic for his taste. Before any of them could speak, more gunfire and screaming was heard outside. "Shit. It sounds like a massacre out there. Joel, you go find your girl. Maria and I will round-up as much citizens as we can and we'll meet you south outside of town."

"Be careful, then." Joel said.

The trio rushed out of the house and went their separate ways. As Joel rushed down the street, he passed by other citizens rushing out their homes in panic. The gunfire seemed to originate from the other side of town, giving him a few minutes to search for Ellie before the bandits spread to their part of the neighborhood. Ellie's actions frustrated him. How could she run off, knowing what danger was lurking?

As Joel passed by a house on a corner, he heard the sounds of a distressed woman sobbing. He investigated the back of the house and found a family of bodies lying there, motionless. Blood sprayed the grass and covered it in dark red. In the middle of the yard, was a lone woman in her mid-thirties. She lied on her back, covering the blood that poured out of the bullet wound in her stomach with her hands. Crouching beside her in shock, was Ellie.

"Ellie! What are you doing here?" Joel demanded, running up to her.

"I...I heard a noise. I wanted to check what happened." Ellie spoke. She had a guilty look on her face. "I couldn't save them. I...I was too late."

Just then, a bandit ran out of the house. Joel quickly noticed them and fired a few rounds from his revolver into their chest, disabling them as they fell to the ground. Joel got a closer look, noticing the bandit wore the same skull mask as the one back in Tommy's house. Beside their body was an assault rifle they dropped.

"Who are these people?" Joel muttered, knowing these bandits weren't a force to be reckoned with. Suddenly, more gunfire erupted from the distance. The attackers were getting closer. Joel turned to Ellie as he loaded his revolver. "Come on, we need to get out of here!"

"But what about her? We can't just leave her like this" Ellie said, pointing to the dying woman beside her. Joel pointed his gun to the woman as she closed her eyes, accepting death. Ellie looked away as Joel ended the woman's suffering.

"Oh fuck." Ellie whispered to herself.

"Now let's go!" Joel demanded. Before they left, he took the assault rifle the bandit dropped. There wasn't much ammo left, but it would help them fight their way through town. He stored his revolver into his pocket and handed Ellie his hunting rifle, knowing how good of a shot she was. The two made their way to the streets and were already spotted by a group of bandits on the other end. As Joel expected, they all sported ballistic skull masks.

"Hey! Let's get those two rats over there!" one of the bandits shouted, pointing at them. Joel and Ellie rushed their way through the neighborhood yards, jumping over the fences to avoid the bandits.

"What do these assholes want with us?" Ellie shouted. Joel had no idea. All he wanted to do was get her far away from these monsters and meet up with Tommy.

The duo made it halfway across town. Reaching a street intersection, they both hid behind a parked vehicle. Joel poked his head from behind, noticing a trio of bandits on the sidewalk. They walked around nonchalantly, waiting for their orders. In front of them, were rows of lifeless bodies. Presumably, they lined up the innocent people and executed them one by one.

"I can't believe these bastards did this." Ellie snarled. Her grip on the hunting rifle tightened. Joel came up with a plan to eliminate them. As he sneaked over to the other side of the street, Ellie aimed at one of the bandits and waited for Joel's signal. When Joel was in place, he signaled Ellie to fire.

"Eat lead." she scowled.

Ellie shot a bullet through the side of a bandit's head. As the other two panicked over their dead comrade, Joel sneaked behind them and sprayed bullets into them.

"Nice one." Ellie complimented, walking out from cover. She looked over to the dead bandits, noticing their head attire. "What's up with the skull masks? Seems weird."

"Let's get a move on." Joel said. He motioned Ellie to follow him as they made their way to the town's exit.

As they reached the front of the exit, shock filled them as they found a military truck blocking the way, with a large group of bandits waiting in front of it. The two ducked behind a car and noticed a lone bandit lining up a row of innocent people against the town's walls. Joel took a closer look and realized who it was.

"That son of a bitch!" Joel growled. It was Richard. The man who had been helping protect their community was now executing everyone on the spot. Tommy was right after all. There was a traitor in town and they hid their act by joining the watch patrol. It was a simple ruse, but it worked and no one expected it.

"All of you are obsolete." Richard spoke. "None of you have evolved to adapt in this world like us. Therefore, you must be eradicated."

Joel and Ellie could only watch as Richard began to execute the row of people one by one, pointing a pistol to their heads and exploding their brains out. One man argued to him, saying Richard would soon get his comeuppance for betraying the entire town. A woman begged for her kids to be spared, but Richard ignored her and killed them on the spot.

"We have to stop him." Ellie said as she began pointing her rifle towards Richard. Joel stopped her, pushing the barrel of the gun back down. "What are you doing? We can't just watch this asshole killing everybody!"

"It's too risky. We're outnumbered and they have stronger firepower than us. They'll drop us dead before we can save anyone." Joel explained to her. At first, Ellie wanted to protest, but he had a fair reason. Reluctantly, she lowered her rifle, cursing under her breath.

As Richard looked over his handiwork, he signaled the other bandits. They began opening the back of the truck. Suddenly, a pack of Runners were released and spread out into the streets, some going into town, while others feasted on the dead bodies. Joel and Ellie locked themselves into the vehicle they hid behind, avoiding detection from the infected.

"Ross, this is the Reapers reporting from Jackson County. Our cleansing is complete." Richard spoke into a walkie-talkie. He and the other bandits climbed into the military truck and drove out of town, heading south.

"Those shitheads! It was them all along." Ellie snapped. She connected the bandits to the infected attack the day before. It all made sense. Joel told her to stay quiet from the infected. She questioned him. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"We need to get out of here. Find a safe place to hide. Jackson County is lost." Joel explained. Ellie lowered her head down and gave a saddened look. This couldn't be happening again, was it? They had only settled into their new lives for a few weeks and now they had to return to fighting for themselves? The duo just couldn't catch a break in their life, could they? Ellie asked Joel what their plan was. "We run and gun it to the exit. Go as fast as you can and shoot any infected that get in our way. Make all your shots count."

"Lead the way." Ellie said. Joel looked out the car window and waited for an opportunity for them to rush past the infected. He counted down from three with his fingers and swiftly opened the car door as they both made a break for it. A few Runners noticed and charged towards them. Joel and Ellie killed them with their firepower and sprinted past the town's exit and into the woods of Wyoming, leaving behind what was left of Jackson County.

It was now home to the infected.

* * *

"Joel, I'm exhausted. Can we rest for awhile?" Ellie complained. Her feet began to ache as they traversed through the woods for hours. A thin smoke of mist covered the area as the dim light of early dawn shot through the trees. Ellie had insisted on resting for the past hour, but Joel wanted to keep moving forward. The two were still in shock from what happened in Jackson County the night before. Ellie had wanted to talk about it, but with Joel focused on moving ahead, she didn't have the opportunity to. Having enough of his attitude, she stopped in her tracks and called to him.

"We need to stop and clear our heads, Joel. Do you even know where we are going?" Ellie said with a stern tone. She crossed her arms as Joel looked back to her. "We haven't even seen Tommy or Maria."

"I know that. But we have to keep going. I need to get you somewhere safe." Joel explained, only to receive a stressed out sigh from Ellie. He raised a brow at her. "What's wrong?"

"How is it that _we _were the only ones that survived?" Ellie asked. Events like this always bothered her. Through some sheer luck, the two of them managed to face death-defying situations head on and come out almost completely unscathed, as if they were invincible. "I watched so many people back there die, Joel. What makes us so special?"

Joel noticed what was going on. Her survivor's guilt was acting up again. He could see from the look she gave him. The man himself was used to this feeling, experiencing it through many years of the past, with the worst case involving Sarah. He sometimes forgot Ellie was still a young girl, and easily succumbed to it.

"Look, I've told you this already. None of that is on you." Joel tried to assure her. Ellie simply lowered her head, unsatisfied with his answer. It wasn't the type of assurance she was looking for. She wanted a clear reason.

"What if it was, Joel? Maybe it_ was _on me this time?" Ellie said. She recalled to when the slaughter back in Jackson County started. After she sneaked out from their house to check on a noise she heard, she came across the family of the woman they killed out of mercy. They were all held at gunpoint in the backyard by one of the bandits and Ellie watched from behind the fence as they all were shot down in a matter of seconds. Their screams still haunted her memory.

"They had a kid, Joel. A small one, probably a baby. He was crying his eyes out beside his dad." Ellie shivered at the thought, and began to wonder if she could have saved them if she did anything.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Joel sympathized with her.

"What about those people on the wall? We could have saved them if _you_ let me shot that bastard." Ellie complained. Joel was surprised by the sudden turn of negativity towards him. He thought she understood why they couldn't risk saving the others. He did it to keep her safe. But it seemed to fly over Ellie's head. "And think about Tommy and Maria! We wouldn't be in this situation having to find them if _I _didn't decide to run off earlier. They could be with us right now. For all we know, they could be dead like everyone else!"

"Now listen to me, it wasn't your fault those people died." Joel started to reason with Ellie. "You weren't the one that put a bullet in their heads, am I right? It was those savages with those skull masks. You shouldn't feel guilty for the actions _they _committed. It's because of _them _that led to all those people dying. Not you."

Ellie thought about what Joel spoke. It _was _true. She wasn't the one that directly caused their deaths. Knowing so, it lifted some of the guilt off her shoulders. She looked up to Joel and simply nodded to him.

The two decided to set up a small camp in the area for the next few hours. As they weren't prepared for the sudden attack, they didn't have many supplies with them. They only had their weapons with them and a small amount supplies for crafting. It took awhile for Joel to start up a campfire for warmth, as it was a bit chilly this early in the day. Ellie sat against a tree across from him, doing the only thing she could do to pass the time: write in her diary. She wrote down the events that transpired overnight, along with how she felt about it.

_I feel so shitty right now. All I can think about is the people who had their lives taken  
away from them so abruptly. It's not fair. I wish they could have survived like how Joel and I have.  
They didn't even have the choice. Those assholes that killed them deserve to rot in hell.  
I hope that Tommy and Maria are safe.  
I just wonder what me and Joel will be doing next._

"Your still writing in that thing?" Joel suddenly called to her in a teasing manner. Ellie simply stuck her tongue out to him. Joel chuckled. He stood up and called her over to tend the fire. "Keep it alive, okay? Took me damn long enough to ignite this thing. I'll see if there is anything out here for us to eat."

"Okay." she responded. Joel left Ellie with the fire, bringing along their hunting rifle to find food. If he was lucky, he'd find them something large like a deer to fill their stomachs.

As he searched around the woods, he pondered about the group that massacred Jackson County. Recalling their actions, they weren't normal hunters who were fighting for survival. They seemed to be cold-blooded murderers who killed countless innocents as if it was a game. And they seemed to have access over the infected. What was their motive? Why did they wear skull masks? Was it a symbol for something? All he knew was that Richard was a part of them.

_Fucking guy. Next time I see him I'll feed a bullet into his mouth. _Joel thought.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU CHICKENSHIT!" a voice shouted from the distance. Joel panicked. Ellie was in trouble! He rushed back to their camp, only to find her trapped within someone's grasp with a gun pointed to her head. They were joined with a few comrades of theirs.

And they all sported the familiar skull masks.

"No... please don't..." Joel pleaded. How did the group already find them? He stared at Ellie and could see the terror in her eyes. A surge of fury filled him to see his baby girl frightened and unable to do anything in risk of getting her killed. In desperation, Joel slowly lowered his rifle and backed away, sticking his hands up in the air.

"Joel..." Ellie whimpered to him. In an instant, the butt of a gun knocked Joel out, turning everything into darkness.

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

* * *

**A/N: With Jackson County having fallen, along with Joel and Ellie captured, what could happen next? Check the next chapter and find out! Please keep a close eye on this story and review if possible, as I always appreciate feedback!**

**Thanks for reading! Bye for now! :D**

* * *

_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~**_


	3. SPRING - Grim

**-CHAPTER 3: GRIM-**

**-SPRING SAGA-**

Pain covered his entire body as Joel slipped in and out of consciousness throughout the hours. His vision was blurry, but he could make out what was happening at times. At first, he was being dragged through the woods by a pair of men as his feet constantly rustled through the grass. Afterwards, he was thrown onto the ground and lied in the centre of a campsite within a small clearing. He could hear the shouts of Ellie cursing against their captors, but was out of his sight. Finally, he woke up inside one of the tents.

Joel groaned as his entire body ached from pain. He lied on his stomach across a worn-out mattress, the only thing that accompanied him inside the tent. He wondered how long he was out. As he slowly got onto his knees, he realized his backpack was gone and his hands were tightly bound behind him.

_Great. Just fucking great._

Suddenly, Joel heard footsteps approaching the tent he was in, followed by a few men speaking to each other. He carefully listened to their conversation.

"So these were the two that killed three of our men back in Jackson?"

"Yeah, it has to be. They are one of the few who managed to escape. Everyone else in that _pathetic_ little town is dead, remember? We killed them all, haha!"

"Shit, we've been through a lot of towns and killed a bunch of people, it's hard for me to keep track."

Joel gritted his teeth. These guys really were lunatics! How could they laugh, knowing they had the blood of a whole town on their hands? Not to mention, they seemed to have done this before in other locations. How many people did these murderers kill? Joel could assume they simply did this for the thrill of it, and not for the sake of surviving. He continued to listen to the bandit's conversation.

"What is Richard planning to do with these two?"

"Not sure. I know he's going to execute the crazy man soon. But he wants to spare the little girl for some reason. Says she has something the boss may be interested in."

What were they talking about? Did Ellie hide something from Joel this whole time? What could she have that interested these guys? He thought about it for a moment. Then he realized something. Did they notice the scar on her arm? Were these guys also looking for a cure as well? How did they even find out about the scar in the first place? That was if only...

"Speaking of that little girl, she sure seemed to squirm a lot last night. I've got to tell you, for someone her age, she sure has one hell of a body. I swear, I couldn't control myself when I ran my fingers across her slender legs."

"Hah! Come on, Gary! It's only been a day and you're already feeling up the lady? Fuck, the last one didn't even manage a week with you. The boss needs this girl alive, and that can't happen if you keep fondling the brat!"

"Don't worry about it. I stopped when I noticed this stupid scar across her arm. Plus she kept on kicking the shit out of me whenever I touched her. It was a _big _turnoff, believe me."

_Fucking bastards. These fucking bastards._

Footsteps emerged as another man joined the conversation. He ordered them to scout the area while he would deal with the captive. Suddenly, the zipper to the tent opened up and a man sporting the familiar black skull mask climbed inside. Joel stared them down angrily and managed the strength to stand up and charge towards him, only to be knocked back down by a punch in the face. He coughed as blood started to drip down from his nose and cover the lower portion of his face. The man slowly removed the mask, revealing who he was.

"Richard..." Joel growled.

"It's nice to see you too." Richard responded, giving him a devilish smile. He went through his pocket and took out a clean handkerchief, throwing it onto Joel. He pointed around his own face. "You might want to clean that up. I don't want you to mess up my mattress."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Joel spit out. There was no hiding how completely furious he was right now. "How could you kill everyone back in Jackson? It was our home! Our second chance at a new life, and you blew it all away with your group of monsters."

"Face it, sooner or later that town was going to fall anyway," Richard spoke in his gruff voice. He began stroking his beard as he paced back and forth in the tent. "Besides, we did everyone back in town a favour. They weren't strong enough to survive in today's world. Might as well end it for them now and save them the trouble."

Joel's eyes widened as he listened to the nonsense that came out of Richard's mouth. A favour? How was massacring everyone in Jackson doing a favour? It was downright ruthless.

"You see, Joel. Us _monsters _have found a way to evolve and adapt into this world taken over by the infected. Are you familiar with the saying, _if you can't beat 'em, join 'em? _Our group has put a spin to that phrase." Richard took a moment to dig through his back pocket and pulled out a vial of golden liquid. He kissed the vial, before holding it up and staring at it in reverence. "We, the Reapers, have developed a special vaccine that has been able to stop the cordyceps from spreading around the host, but retain the physical enhancements and mental aggressiveness the infection granted. But it can only work if the host is already infected with the cordyceps in them."

A vaccine? Joel wondered if he was bluffing, but he got rid of his doubt when Richard showed him the infected scar across his shoulder. It was similar to Ellie's, except it had a needle shot in the middle of it where an injection possibly happened. Joel questioned him. "Why aren't you using the vaccine to save mankind then? Why is your group keeping it for themselves, instead of giving it to others?"

"Because _we _were the ones that found it!" Richard shouted down to him. He managed to drop the vial of vaccine onto the mattress out of anger. "We were smart enough to figure out our own way of surviving in this world, why should anyone else deserve it? For 20 years, humanity has tried to come up with a way out, and only until now _we _have discovered an answer. This is a sign that only the Reapers are fit to live in this world and everyone else should die!"

"So not only do you think that your group is special enough to live on in this world, but you also think it's your job to wipe everyone else out? You're insane, Richard!" Joel argued back, only to receive another punch from him.

"You think I'm the insane one?" Richard crouched down over and grabbed his chin, forcing Joel to face him. "Then what do you think of this idea? What if I told you we had plans in making that little _girl _of yours one of us?"

"Leave her out of this!" Joel snarled at him. He ended up getting punched again. He rolled to his side and coughed away the blood on his face. Joel had been punched countless times before, but the beating he was taking right now was the most brutal he endured. Was it because of the vaccine that gave Richard his strength?

"That girl of yours is special, Joel. I've seen the scar. Is she immune?" Richard asked him. Joel did not answer him and simply gave a vengeful look. "Well, whatever it is, our leader, Ross, has an assumption that the effects of the vaccine mixed with her mutated fungus could give mind-blowing results. She could become our deadliest killing machine if we're lucky!"

"Kill me if you have to, but let her go." Joel begged. He would do anything for Ellie's safety. Richard simply laughed at him in a mocking manner and smirked.

"If you insist."

Swiftly, Richard opened the tent and threw Joel out. He stumbled onto the ground, only to be yanked up by a pair of men and forced on his knees as they held him in place. Joel took the moment to look around the campsite. The rest of Richard's men were around the area. He noticed the ash pit in the centre and the smell of tobacco in the air, realizing they had been smoking the whole time. The military truck seen in Jackson County was parked a few feet away next to some trees. There was another tent beside the one Joel was held in. Between the tents were his and Ellie's backpacks. Joel could see the handle of a shiv sticking out from the holster.

"Where is my girl?" Joel demanded. Richard motioned his men to fetch her. They took Ellie out from the other tent as she struggled against them. Joel could only wince in shock to see the state she was in. Her hands were bound behind her back and a handkerchief was tied over her mouth, reducing her to speaking in muffles. Ellie gave the same, shocked reaction, seeing Joel's face covered in blood.

"She's been a strong girl, I'll be honest. She managed to hold back tears when one of my men took the time to _play_ with her." Richard spoke, walking over to Ellie and stroking her hair. Joel became furious and struggled against his men, but they kicked him down onto his stomach. Richard walked over to him and pointed his pistol towards his head. He quickly turned back to Ellie. "Watch as the Reapers blow your man's head off!"

This was Joel and Ellie's most vulnerable moment. Never before have they felt this helpless their entire time being together. With Joel about to face death and Ellie forced to watch helplessly, it seemed like this was the last of their moments together. As Richard switched the barrel to his gun, both Joel and Ellie closed their eyes and waited for the shot to fire out.

_BANG!_

The sound of a body falling to the ground surprised Joel. Opening his eyes, he saw the lifeless body of Richard lying on the ground in front of him. The corpse stared back at him with a bullet wound in the center of his forehead.

"We've got a sniper!" Richard's men shouted. They panicked as they aimed their rifles around, trying to spot the hiding assailant. Soon afterwards, another shot fired from a different direction, this time hitting one of the Reapers in the chest, disabling them as they fell to the ground in agony. The Reapers decided to separate from the camp and search for the snipers. In the midst of the chaos, Joel quickly crawled over to his backpack and took out the shiv, anxiously cutting through the ropes that tied his hands. One of the Reapers saw what he was doing and walked towards him, aiming their pistol to take him out. Luckily, they were interrupted when Ellie tackled them, only to be pushed back onto the ground.

"Why the fuck are you so rowdy, little girl? All I wanted was a _good_ time with you last night, but you kept pushing me away! I wasn't going to hurt you, I swear!" the Reaper screamed as they aimed their gun at her. By this time, Joel broke free from his bounds and tackled them down. He took away their gun and ripped the skull mask off their face, staring the man down.

"You must be Gary, I assume." Joel spoke in a threatening voice. He stared into the man's eyes sharply, as if piercing through their soul. "Listen to me. Sick individuals like you who enjoy feeling about young girls deserve to go to hell. I just so happen to have a one-way ticket with your name on it."

"Fuck your shit." the man spat his last words.

With no hesitation, Joel stuck the barrel of the gun into Gary's mouth and pulled the trigger. A pool of blood poured out from the back of his head. Joel breathed heavily, satisfied to having killed the man that exposed Ellie. He turned to his girl, who lied on her side in exhaustion.

"Ellie!" Joel called to her as his fatherly instincts switched on. He rushed over to Ellie and helped her sit up, untying the bounds around her hands and mouth. Joel tried speaking to her, but an emotionless expression covered her face, as if she was frozen in time. Joel tried to shake her out of the trance, to no avail. Hearing more gunshots off in the distance, Joel decided to get them out of the area. He grabbed their bags and helped Ellie up. "Come on, I need you to focus, baby. We have to get out of here."

Before they left the campsite, Joel quickly scavenged the area. He took their weapons stolen from the Reapers, along with their ammo. Remembering about his tent, he searched inside and picked up the vial of vaccine Richard dropped on his mattress.

_This might be useful later. _

Joel attempted to search for the keys to the military truck, with no luck. He heard the gunshots getting closer and decided to book it out of there. Grabbing Ellie's hand, the duo left the campsite and searched for a safe place to hide. As the two ran through the woods, less shots were heard, implying the group of Reapers were diminishing.

Surprisingly, Joel heard someone call his name in the distance. He didn't want to take the risk and continued running. As they passed by a tree, a person sneaked out from behind it and aimed their rifle at them, calling their name and demanding them to freeze. Hearing the gun being loaded, Joel reluctantly turned back and gave a look of surprise and relief.

"Tommy?" Is that you?"

* * *

Night fell upon the woods, enveloping it in darkness. The smoke of a campfire sprouted above the trees as Tommy tended to it with a stick. Beside him, Maria sat on the ground, holding her rifle against her shoulder as she watched the orange flames flicker with warmth. Across from them was Joel, sitting cross-legged with Ellie wrapped around his arm beside him, enveloped in a blanket as she slept soundly, resting her head against his shoulder.

_Poor girl,_ Joel thought as he rubbed the side of her arm reassuringly. Quiet moments like this reminded him how young and innocent Ellie still was. She was born into this apocalyptic world and forced to face the violence and terror it offered.

Earlier that day, Joel snapped Ellie out of her trance after the incident with the Reapers. Her mind had taken awhile to settle in what happened. Her first reaction was to breakdown into Joel's arms, with Tommy and Maria watching in pity. Joel attempted to console her, only for Ellie to ignore him and repeat the following phrase in distress.

_"Why, Joel? Why did it happen again!?"_

The last time Joel saw her like this was a few months back in the winter. When Ellie was forced to take him under her care after a fatal injury, she was captured and taken in by a group of cannibals, lead by an insane man named David, who had an unusual desire for her. Joel still did not exactly see how terrible David was, but knew how much of an impact he left on Ellie, clearly traumatizing her. Nightmares kept Ellie company the weeks after the encounter, and Joel had to constantly comfort her afterwards, even during the early days of Spring. It had only been recently that she overcame those memories as they were pushed over by the wonderment of what happened to the Fireflies and her survivor's guilt.

And now, Joel had to prepare himself for the unpleasant dreams inevitable to come and haunt Ellie once again. Only this time, he knew they would be even worse. He was aware of the malicious acts the Reapers were capable of, experiencing it first-hand back at their camp. He knew bits and details to what Ellie went through, but her reaction clearly made it to be much worse than it actually was.

"I can't believe what she's been through," Maria spoke, breaking the silence between them. She stared over to Ellie, seeing how lulled she looked from her face. Maria sighed. "It isn't fair. Any girl like her shouldn't have to face these types of dilemmas. It's sickening to what those people did to her."

"Those bastards are going to pay for what they did. I'm going to make sure of it." Tommy spoke with certainty. He had a serious look on his face, holding a fresh grudge against the Reapers. They wiped out his community. They kept his brother and little girl captive and tortured them. He had every right to hate them.

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, Tommy. We've all just been through hell. We need to stop and take a breather for now." Maria reminded him. She despised the Reapers as much as Tommy did. She recalled the attack in Jackson County a few days ago. Tommy and Maria had no chance to save anyone as they were all shot down by the Reapers. They managed to kill a few of them, but had to escape when they ran low on ammo. The two watched helplessly as they watched the community they worked years on building fall down in a single night. Maria sighed as she wiped away a tear from her face. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to my dad."

Tommy crouched down to her and embraced his wife. Even living in a world populated by monsters, the two didn't allow it to rip apart their marriage and still loved each other. He turned over to Joel and asked him a few questions. "Now, you told me these guys call themselves the Reapers. Did they tell you why they attacked our town? Are there still more of these men?"

"I believe so." Joel answered. He remembered the two Reaper's conversation back at their camp. They had a leader named Ross who was interested in using Ellie. With a leader, that meant there were more Reapers following his orders. The group that attacked Joel may have been a small portion to an army Ross lead. Joel wasn't completely sure though. Maybe he was being paranoid at the moment.

"This may sound far-fetched, but they made their own vaccine." Joel began digging through his pockets and took out the vial of golden liquid, showing it to Tommy and Maria. He swished it around for a moment. "They say it stops the infection from spreading and strengthens their mind and body. It's like out of those old Popeye cartoons. But it only works if the infection itself is already inside."

"So the injection must happen right after the cordyceps is in you?" Tommy asked. He took a moment to think about it. "Why not conjure up something that prevents the infection from spreading prior from it happening?"

"I'm no scientist, but it must be a _lot _more complicated than it sounds like." Maria commented. "These Reapers must be grateful they came up with some result."

"Doesn't matter though. All these bastards want is power, just like how the Fireflies wanted." Joel stated. He paused for a moment, looking back to Ellie, who still slept soundly beside him. He sighed. "Except they are _much_ worse."

"We still need to plan what we're going to do next." Maria reminded them. With their home gone, the four of them needed to find a new place to stay. Joel yearned to find a place for Ellie and him to live a happy life, away from the terror of the world. They didn't have much options in their grasp. Where could they find a safe area exactly like Jackson? Most of the country was filled with infected and dangerous people.

"Our only option is to move on. Hopefully find another place for us to live." Tommy said as he shrugged. To him, it didn't matter where he was, as long his family was by his side. But he knew finding a new safe haven would be difficult. "We can try heading south, see if we're lucky."

Joel was hesitant with the idea. He was all for finding a new place for them, but out of all the directions Tommy chose, he wanted to go south? Heading off in this direction would eventually lead them to Salt Lake City, the place where he held the biggest lie he didn't want to reveal to Ellie. For some reason, thinking about the place made him feel uneasy. But what could go wrong, though? The Fireflies were no threat to them anymore. Joel shook the worry out of his head.

_We'll be fine._ Joel assured himself.

"By the way. I just want to thank you Tommy for rescuing us. You too, Maria. We probably would have been killed if you didn't find us." Joel said to them.

"Guess dealing with your pissy little brother all these years paid off, didn't it?" Tommy joked. He ended up getting pinched on the side by Maria.

"Your older brother is thanking you. Try to be mature." Maria lectured Tommy as he rubbed his sides. She nodded to Joel. "I'm just glad Ellie and you are safe."

Joel looked over to Ellie, watching as she rubbed her eyes, just waking up from her slumber. She seemed content at the moment, which relieved Joel. Before, it had taken him almost an hour to calm her down. No nightmares seemed to have attacked her, which was a good sign, for now.

"How are you feeling?" Joel asked her. Ellie didn't seem to answer, focusing her eyes on the flames of the campfire. Joel continued rubbing her side to soothe her. "Just tell me if you need anything, okay kiddo?"

"I want them all dead."

"What?" Joel pardoned her. Ellie spoke again, voicing in a monotonous tone.

"The Reapers. I want to kill all of them. I want them to suffer. I want to teach those men a lesson for what they did to everyone in Jackson County. To you. To me. I want revenge."

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

* * *

**A/N: Glad you guys have been enjoying the story so far. In my opinion, I feel this chapter took a dark turn. I even felt a _little _uncomfortable writing a certain part. I just couldn't believe what I was writing. But as I said, I'm not holding back on the shock value. Just wait what I have in store for the _next_ chapter.**

**Thanks for reading! Bye for now! :D**

* * *

_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~**_


	4. SPRING - Revelation

**-CHAPTER 4: REVELATION-**

**-SPRING SAGA-**

A week had passed since the incident with the Reapers. Joel's group trekked south on foot, occasionally stopping to scavenge for supplies or rest for the night. For days, they walked down the road that stretched for hundreds of miles, leading from Jackson, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah. The only sight that stuck with them for the never-ending hours were the lush mountains surrounding the roads. Nevertheless, it was a tiring journey, especially with no vehicle to make it easy for them.

Tommy and Maria were leading the four of them, while Joel and Ellie lingered behind. Occasionally, Joel would look over to Ellie, who had her head lowered towards the ground as they walked. She still had the incident with the Reapers fresh in her mind. Her first nightmare about it haunted her the day before, and Joel comforted her for hours afterwards, trying to assure her she was safe.

_She hasn't been herself in a long time. _Joel thought to himself. He remembered to the early days of their Firefly journey. Ellie was very impulsive and out-going, but in the recent weeks she became distant and quiet. Joel really missed her old self. These violent experiences were beginning to change her. He still remembered the words she murmured a week ago about the Reapers.

"_I want to kill all of them. I want revenge."_

Hearing those words gave Joel goosebumps. To think those words came from the mouth of a teenage girl was unnatural. And frightening.

"Finally. We're almost there." Tommy breathed out in relief. They saw the buildings of Salt Lake City towering out in the distance. Joel gazed at the city, relieved and nervous at the same time. In a few hours, they'd be able to rest. But they would be in the same city where the Fireflies were. Joel hoped they wouldn't pass by the Firefly hosptial. He couldn't allow Ellie to know the lie he conjured up to protect her.

"Just a few more miles, baby girl." Joel spoke. He reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder, causing Ellie to jolt in surprise. The two stopped in their tracks. Joel gave her a worried look. "Ellie. What-"

"Sorry! My mind was somewhere else and I guess you surprised me." Ellie explained. Her whole body suddenly shivered. She looked out in front of her and noticed the buildings to Salt Lake City. "Oh look, we're almost there."

"Ellie, are you okay?" Joel asked. Ellie paused for a moment, looking down to the ground. She rubbed the side of her arm and slowly nodded.

"Yeah. I'm just tired, that's all. We should keep walking." Ellie said. She continued towards Salt Lake City, leaving Joel behind to wonder what was going on with her. It was the first time she'd reacted to him like that. Did Joel make the wrong move to touch her? Did it relate to the Reapers?

In a few hours, the group reached Salt Lake City. It appeared the same since Joel and Ellie was last there, more than a month ago from the end of April. Abandoned vehicles scattered the streets, vegetation grew over the concrete as nature retook the area and the view of the mountains could be seen far off in the distance. To the group, it was just another typical area in their post-apocalyptic world. They ventured through the city for a while, until they came across a worn out apartment. Entering the building, they found a complex for them to rest in. The group settled in the living room, which was decorated with a few couches, a bookshelf and even a television mounted on the wall, although it was no use to them anymore.

"That was one hell of a walk." Maria groaned, fitting herself comfortably on the couch. Tommy sat beside her. He offered Ellie the spot beside him, but she declined, instead heading off to the bedroom of the complex. Tommy gave his brother a concerned look.

"I'll see what she needs." Joel spoke.

Following Ellie to the bedroom, Joel found her sitting on the side of the bed. She had her diary opened on her lap and was writing something in its pages. Joel knocked on the door, asking if he was allowed to come in. He walked over and sat beside Ellie. There was silence between them for a moment as Joel thought of what to say.

"How are you doing?" Joel asked. He saw the uncertain expression upon Ellie's face. She shrugged. It was difficult for him to tell exactly how she was feeling. Joel pointed over to her open diary. "How's that journal of yours coming along?"

"It's called a diary, Joel." Ellie corrected him. She flipped through the pages for a moment, eyeing the various entries she made, talking about their past experiences the previous week. Even noting the incident with the Reapers. "I don't know why, but whenever I write something, it relieves the stress out of me. It's like I'm in a whole different world. Don't you ever get that feeling when you do something you enjoy and you forget about everything else? That's how I feel."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Joel answered. He reminisced to the years before when he'd sit outside on his porch and strum mindlessly on his six-string. He was glad Ellie had something to keep her mind busy. Joel cleared his throat before changing the subject. "Ellie, I want to talk about what you said the week before. About the Reapers. It was so unlike you."

Ellie hesitated for a moment. Memories flushed back from the Reaper's camp. Remembering what they did to her both upset and infuriated Ellie. "I want them dead, Joel. I want those Reapers to die."

Hearing those words come out of her mouth made Joel restless. He understood the reason why'd she say them. But did she actually mean it? Wanting to kill all of them? "Look, I want you to understand. Those men won't hurt you anymore. As long as I'm here, I'll protect you no matter what."

"How are you sure of it?" Ellie asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "You even told me yourself. There could be an army of these men still running around. What if they find us again? They almost _killed _you! And the things they did to me. I just can't let it happen again. I just can't..."

Ellie felt herself about to breakdown. She wiped the tears swelling up in her eyes as she tried to keep her composure. Joel wrapped his arms around and comforted her with the soothing sound of his voice.

"I won't let anyone do anything to you. You can trust me. I swear on it."

Ellie simply nodded as she rested her head on his shoulder. She always felt safe within his arms. Joel was always there for her when she needed it. He was the one thing in her life that she truly felt lucky to have. A protector. A friend. A father.

"Hey, do you think we can find those giraffes later?" Ellie asked, innocently. Joel simply smiled, glad to see her optimistic self again.

"Whatever you want, kiddo."

"Joel!" Tommy called over to them. He walked into the room, seeing the two in each others comfort. "Uhm...am I interrupting something?"

"Don't worry, we're fine." Joel responded, keeping his focus on Ellie as he fixed her hair, much to her annoyance. "What is it that you need, Tommy?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing. Maria and I were thinking about going through town and scavenge for supplies while the two of you hold our fort. I was wondering if you needed anything specific." Tommy explained. Joel shook his head, instead turning to Ellie and asked if she needed anything. Suddenly, her stomach growled. She rubbed it, giving an embarrassed look. Joel and Tommy chuckled. "Haha, don't worry. I'll make sure we find us some grub for tonight. Who knows, maybe we'll run into a Red Lobster while we're out."

"A lobster? What the hell is that?" Ellie asked, giving a confused look.

"I'll explain it to you later." Joel promised.

Tommy and Maria exited the apartment, leaving Joel and Ellie alone to occupy it. The two would be there for hours until the others would come back, so they had to find an activity to pass the time. Ellie searched through the kitchen, hoping to find a snack treasured away within the cupboards and fridge. But of course, the place was stripped clean. Meanwhile, Joel sat within the living room, analyzing the vial of vaccine he took from the Reaper's camp.

_Could this actually be a vaccine?_ He thought to himself. He recalled to Richard's words before he died. Joel seemed baffled by its effects. Injecting this into a recently infected host could stop the fungi from spreading, but still enable it's physical enhancements and behaviours? How was the science in that possible?

_Just one of the few reasons why biology confused me in high school._

"Check out what I found." Ellie called to Joel. She had been rummaging through the living room's bookshelf and found something of interest. Holding the book in front her she read the title aloud. "_Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, written by Judy Blume. _Hmm, seems intriguing."

"Uhm...I don't think you should read that." Joel told her.

"Why not? There's a picture of a girl on the cover! It's obviously aimed at girls, which the last time I checked, I was one."

"Well, yes, it might be for girls. But those kind of books are aimed at a more..._mature _audience."

"I'm fifteen, Joel. I think I'm mature enough." Ellie reasoned. Joel sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop her. Ellie sat beside him and began reading the book. After skimming through the pages for a few minutes, she looked over to Joel, seeing the vial in his hands. She asked him about it. "What is that?"

"It's something I found back in the Reaper's camp." Joel explained to her. He hesitated, wondering if he should tell her it was a type of vaccine. He decided to play it safe, omitting the word itself. "It's this type of drug. Apparently, if you inject this into someone who just got infected, the drug will stop the fungus from spreading."

"So it's like a vaccine?" Ellie asked. Joel was surprised to hear her say the word. He slowly nodded. She was confused. "How were they able to make that? Did _they _find immune people and do experiments on them?"

"I don't know... but it took them years to make. And they are using it for their own _selfish_ reasons." Joel explained. Anger suddenly filled him, remembering the Reapers wanting to use Ellie and inject the vaccine into her, using her as their own "weapon" since she had the infection in her body, except mutated, giving her immunity. His grip around the vial tightened, almost to the point of breaking the glass, but he controlled himself.

"You know, I still wonder what happened to the Fireflies. I mean, if they stopped looking for a cure, what are they doing now?" Ellie said in curiosity. She sighed. Talking about the Reaper vaccine reminded her about the Fireflies and their mission to find their own version of the drug. She had hoped allowing herself to be experimented on for a cure would help mankind. But to hear that this vaccine was being used for violent reasons, she had second thoughts. On the other hand, Joel froze for a moment as guilt began to settle into him, remembering the lie he told her. He could almost feel Ellie staring behind him, waiting for an answer.

"...I wonder too." Joel lied. He put the vaccine back into his bag and relaxed on the couch, resting a foot onto the table in front of them. Ellie yawned, complaining how tired she was and laid across the seat beside him, resting her head on the arm rest and facing her feet towards Joel. The two stared at the blank television in front of them and waited for the hours to pass by.

* * *

"Joel! Wake up!" a voice called him to reality. Joel groggily sat up and looked around him. Tommy and Maria were standing over him beside the couch, just returning from their supply run. His entire body sprawled over it. He wondered how long he had been asleep. Joel soon realized Ellie was not there anymore.

"Where's Ellie?" Joel asked them. Tommy and Maria shrugged, appearing just as clueless as he was. Joel put both hands on the sides of his head and panicked. How could she pull off the same stunt again? First in Jackson, now here? Joel stood up and paced around the living room nervously. "Shit! Why would she do this? Why!?"

"Did you two have an argument?" Maria demanded, crossing her arms. Joel shook his head. The last thing he remembered was that Ellie had drifted asleep while reading the book she found. Joel soon knocked out afterwards. "Well, what would make her run off?"

"Goddamnit. Joel, you don't think she went looking for the Fireflies, would she?" Tommy asked. Joel felt a huge feeling of terror sink into him. He didn't want to believe it, but it was the only reason why she would venture out into Salt Lake City alone. That was, unless she _really _wanted to see those giraffes again.

"No...no way. Just...no..." Joel sputtered out. He felt adrenaline surge through his body. In an instant, he rushed out of the apartment complex and into the streets of the city, sprinting into the direction to St. Mary's Hospital. He noticed how dark it had become. When they arrived in the city, it was early in the afternoon, which meant Ellie had been outside for a few hours.

_Why would she do this? Why? _Joel thought to himself as he sprinted through the field where he and Ellie last saw the small herd of giraffes. The rebellious attitude Ellie showed recently worried Joel. What exactly changed into making her do all this? Did the overzealous curiosity get the best of her? Did she suspect something about the Fireflies, even after hearing Joel's lie? She always seemed to ask about it from time to time. All he could do was hope she didn't find out the truth.

Joel eventually reached St. Mary's Hospital. The front area was littered with cars parked either on the road or on the grass. A number of windows were either cracked or broken all together around the building. The automatic doors were jammed open, leaving a small gap between them, but large enough for a girl like Ellie to slide through. Joel grabbed each door and pulled them open, allowing him to climb through.

"Ellie! Ellie, where are you!?" Joel called out to her. He walked through the lobby of the hospital and turned a corner, only to realize a pair of Clickers were in the way. Joel wondered how infected were able to get into the building, as it was protected by the Fireflies. Seeing them gave hope that the Fireflies were gone, but it gave him a new fear that Ellie was alone with these monsters.

Joel inspected his surroundings, finding a large shard of glass next to a door with broken windows. He picked it up and intended to use it as a shiv. Quietly, he sneaked up to the Clicker closest to him and grabbed it, stabbing the glass into its neck and killing it. The other Clicker figured out his position and lunged at him, but Joel reacted by pulling out his revolver and shoot it in the head. Joel stood there for a moment, immediately regretting his action, as it might have attracted more infected. The long moment of silence relieved Joel.

_What's wrong with me? Why did I shoot? _He lectured to himself. It didn't matter though, his mind was focused on find Ellie. Joel searched the entire main floor, barging into any unlocked doors and looking around every corner. Ellie was no where to be found. He intended to search the second floor when he realized it was locked. No way could she have gone in this direction. He was about to go for the elevator when he remembered he had stopped it in the parking lot before they escaped.

_The parking lot!_

Joel ran out of the hospital and headed towards its parking lot, which was below the main level. He sprinted past the cars, caught off guard when he saw a few dead infected lying in the path he took, which were never there before. As he reached the elevator area, he was greeted by an upsetting sight.

Kneeling down in front of the open elevator, was Ellie. She had her back turned towards Joel, but he could tell from her movement and the sound of sobs that she was crying. Around her, were the dead bodies of Runners. Joel assumed Ellie had taken care of them. As he checked to see what Ellie was kneeling over, Joel gave a horrified look.

Marlene's corpse lied in front of Ellie where Joel had left after shooting her. At least, what was left of it. The infected had found her body and began devouring it, only reaching up to the torso before Ellie killed them. She lied there with her legs gone and her insides sprawled around as Ellie held her lifeless hand in sorrow.

"Oh Christ..." Joel whispered. He was audible enough for Ellie to hear him. She turned to him, revealing the tears that streamed down her face. Joel slowly approached her as she wiped them away. "Ellie...I'm sorry."

"What the _fuck_ happened, Joel? Why is Marlene like this?" Ellie cried, looking back to her friend. Other than Joel, Marlene was the one other person Ellie had truly bonded with and cared about. To suddenly see her like this, with the infected chewing away at her body, horrified and broke Ellie. She had hoped to see her friend again. But not like this.

"Ellie, it's complicated. I'll explain it to you later, but we need to get you back to the apartment." Joel said, trying to reason with her. He crouched down and put a hand to her shoulder, but she suddenly slapped it away, catching Joel off-guard.

"No! Don't touch me!" Ellie yelled, jerking away from him. She pointed down to Marlene's head. "Why the hell does she have a bullet hole in her head, Joel? Who did this to her? You _have _to know what happened!"

Joel hesitated. He couldn't bare to see her like this, broken down in angst. The guilt of his lie finally ate him. There was no way he was getting out of this without telling the truth. Summing up the courage, he finally spilled the beans. "Please, listen to me. The Fireflies wanted to kill you to make the vaccine. I couldn't let them do that to you. I had to kill the Fireflies so you would live. Including Marlene."

Ellie stared at Joel for a moment. The man she had looked up to for the past year, the one she trusted, suddenly wasn't who she thought he was. She may have known Joel was lying, but she didn't know what he hid until now. Joel may have been in front of her, but all she saw was a monster. She began to argue with him.

"How could you do this? Kill everyone here. Including Marlene. Did any of them even beg for their lives? Did Marlene beg for her life?"

"You have to understand, Ellie. They gave me no choice." Joel calmly spoke, attempting to explain everything to her.

"Just like how _you_ didn't give _me _a choice! Didn't you ever give thought of what I desired? Maybe I wanted to be the cure to save humanity. But you took that chance away from me, Joel! Why did you?"

"Because I couldn't bare to lose another daughter!" Joel snapped back. His voice cracked in distress. He felt a large lump in his throat. He'd expected a negative reaction from Ellie, but not where she'd be shouting towards him with anger. He thought she'd be grateful he rescued her, but she took it as a bad decision. "Ellie, please understand what I'm saying. I did this to protect you. You are the _only _thing that is giving me the strength to fight and live another day. I couldn't survive without you."

Hearing what Joel said struck Ellie with mixed feelings. She was flattered to hear how Joel cared about her as another daughter, but her feelings of anger against him overpowered her.

"You still lied to me Joel. I _trusted_ you. Just like how I trusted that asshole David when we fought those infected together back in the winter. Just like how I trusted those Reapers when they said they wouldn't hurt me and you." Ellie began to visibly shake as she reminded herself of the outcome of those traumatic events. She was almost eaten by cannibals. She was unwillingly exposed by blood-thirsty murderers. "I trusted them and looked what happened!"

Joel's face filled with disturbance. How could she compare him to those men? He was _nothing _like those men. Or was he? Those men did whatever they could to survive, just like how Joel struggled through the past twenty years. He may have acted like a monster, but there was one thing that made him different and justified his choices: for the well-being of the little girl he grew to love as his own. None of the other men fought for someone else like he did.

"You have every right to be mad at me, Ellie. But I want you to know I am _not _like those men you compared me to. Those men only care about themselves. I knew that you were worth the risk. The world we live in is broken. You are the very few people that can make a positive impact, but killing yourself won't allow it." Joel pleaded with her. "I may have lied to you. I may have taken a choice from you. But I gave you a chance at life."

Ellie allowed his words to sink into her. Joel had convincing reasons, but she had already lost her trust towards him. Overwhelmed with emotion, she covered her face with both hands and shook her head.

"I don't know what to think anymore, Joel... I don't know..."

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

* * *

**A/N: A tragic revelation, straining the relationship between the dynamic duo. I always wonder how Ellie would react if she figured out Joel's lie, but this time instead of simply hearing the truth, I wanted to add my own twist and make her see the evidence. Will the two make up? Find out next week!**

**If you are reading this right now, I want to inform chapters will be posted every_ Sunday evening_ from now on. Make sure you mark that on your calenders!**

**Thanks for reading! Bye for now! :D**

* * *

**_~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~_  
**


	5. SPRING - Newcomers

**-CHAPTER 5: NEWCOMERS-**

**-SPRING SAGA-**

The group made their way through the city of Saratoga Springs. Even in the midst of the post-apocalyptic world, the area was peaceful. The city was located a few miles south of Salt Lake City and sat along the coast of Utah Lake, seemingly gigantic in size. The city was spacious, with wide streets and large houses making up the area. Other than the garbage littered around the area and vehicles left out of place, it felt like an ordinary neighborhood.

At the moment, Ellie and Maria sat down on the sidewalk, waiting for Joel and Tommy to return from scavenging the houses along the street. Ellie took note of the sizes of the houses. They were much bigger than some of the houses she had seen before. The smaller ones appeared broken down and dirty. The bigger houses appeared to be fine and stayed intact, despite the circumstances. _Rich people must've owned these giant houses. I wonder how it's like to be rich._

"It must have been nice to live in this place. Especially before the infection started." Ellie stated. She turned to Maria, who was rubbing her forehead with her fingers. Ellie gave concern. "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just a small headache, that's all." Maria assured her. She let out a deep sigh, as if something troubled her mind. Ellie asked if anything was wrong. Maria simply shrugged. "It's nothing important. I just reminded myself how one thing could ruin something that seemed so perfect. Like... how this entire apocalypse started from a few spores and almost destroyed humanity."

"Yeah... I know what you mean." Ellie agreed. "One thing _can _destroy something that seems so perfect. Like a lie..."

Meanwhile, Joel and Tommy scavenged through the last house on the street and made their way back to the girls. The duo didn't find much supplies, only bringing a can of beans, some ammunition and a few rags and tape for crafting items. For a wealthy area, one would expect a stash of supplies hidden in every building.

"Damn it. We've searched through almost the entire part of this neighborhood and barely found enough supplies to hold us over for the next few days. This place is practically stripped clean!" Tommy complained. He brushed his hair back in frustration. Ever since they abandoned Jackson, the group were steadily running out of supplies. At this rate, they would run out and eventually starve to death from the lack of food or get killed by a severe injury when there is no medical kit in their aid.

Joel simply ignored his brother's tantrum, instead keeping his focus on the object in his hands. It was a _Savage Starlight _comic he found in the last house. An issue Joel knew Ellie hadn't read yet. He hoped to give it to her as a form of apology after the tragic revelation of finding Marlene's dead body back in Salt Lake City. From that moment, Ellie had created a barrier between her and Joel. For the past few days, she refused to talk and always kept her back towards him. It may have been a simple gesture, but it killed Joel from the inside. He held immense regret for lying to Ellie and keeping the dark secret he desperately hid about the Fireflies for her sake. No matter how many times he apologized, Ellie wouldn't forgive what she considered his betrayal. Joel was lost, and would do anything to gain her trust back.

"We can manage somehow." Joel finally responded, rolling up the comic in his hand. Tommy gave him a questionable look and argued back.

"Do you realize how desperate our situation is becoming? If we don't figure something out, we'll be dead, Joel!" Tommy explained. He caught Joel disregarding him again, glancing over to the comic in his hands. Tommy furiously shook his head. "Look, I know things aren't going well between you and Ellie, and I understand how you feel. But you need to focus on keeping her alive. Besides, what makes you think a stupid comic will make her forgive you?"

"You don't know what this means!" Joel snapped, pointing the rolled-up comic in Tommy's face. He quickly calmed down and rolled open the comic, sighing as he stared at the cover. "I _need _my baby girl back."

Before Tommy could say anything, Joel turned around and continued his walk back to the girls. Tommy quietly followed behind him. He knew how stubborn his brother was, and in this case, would stop at nothing to revive his strained relationship with Ellie. From everything she'd been through, Tommy wondered if Ellie _could_ return to her normal self. But Joel desperately needed her back. Even if she said a single word to him, Joel would be satisfied.

"How did the scavenging go?" Maria asked, standing up as the brothers returned. Tommy simply shook his head, causing Maria to frown. On the other hand, they watched as Joel walked over to Ellie and crouched beside her, holding the comic in his hands.

"Hey kiddo." Joel spoke. Ellie ignored him, keeping her attention towards the houses. "Uhm... I found another one of them comics you love reading. I think it's an issue you haven't read yet. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

Ellie continued to ignore him, turning her attention to her feet, which she began to sway from side to side. With the conversation going no where, Joel frantically pleaded with her.

"Please... please say something to me, Ellie. You have _every _right to be mad at me, but what can I do so you can forgive me? I miss talking to you. Hell, I even miss them jokes you've always told me. Just please... talk to me."

Ellie lowered her head and closed her eyes. Hearing Joel's plea made her feel guilty, but reminded her of his own selfishness. To her, Joel _only_ wanted her to speak to him again like before. But he still seemed not to understand the weight of _her _situation. In a short span of two weeks, Ellie had witnessed a town brutally murdered, became victim to violent and aggressive predators, discovered the dark secret concerning Marlene's death and realized how an important choice over becoming a possible cure was taken away from her. Ellie felt insignificant. She could only wonder what her true purpose was in her life.

_Did I simply enter this world, with my purpose only to endure all these shitty situations? _

Keeping her mouth shut, Ellie stood up and walked away, leaving Joel on the sidewalk, disheartened yet again.

After Tommy and Maria attempted to comfort Joel, the group continued scavenging through Saratoga Springs. They searched through more buildings, with no change of luck in finding supplies. With the sun beginning to set, how would they survive the night with barely anything in their disposal? Feeling tired and hopeless, the group set towards a house to rest for the night. As they reached the front entrance, they heard rustling from the bushes beside them.

"Did you guys hear that?" Tommy asked them. All of a sudden, a shot was fired from above. Tommy shouted in pain as he was hit in the shoulder. Before Maria could rush to his side, a woman jumped out from the bush and threw her onto the ground, pinning her down with a crowbar. At the same time, a man ran out from behind the house and tackled Joel, beginning to throw punches at him.

"Get off of him!" Ellie shouted. She pulled out her switchblade and lunged at the man attacking Joel, only to be slapped away from him. The man noticed Ellie and stopped attacking Joel, surprised to see a young girl with the group.

"What in the world? A child?" the man spoke in confusion. Taking the opportunity, Joel rolled the man over so he was on top and began throwing punches at him. He would have kept going if the woman holding Maria hadn't gone over and hit Joel from the back of the head with her crowbar, knocking him into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Hello... sir...wake up."

Joel slowly awoken from his slumber. Looking around him, he found himself resting within a large tent, big enough to fit a small group of people. He was alone with a man who crouched beside him. The scenario seemed all too familiar. Joel's defensive instincts set in as he crawled away from him and looked for a weapon to attack.

"Now calm down! I'm not here to hurt you." the man spoke in a low, deep voice. Joel assumed he was a Reaper at first, but on closer inspection, he appeared normal. The man appeared to have dark skin, shaven hair with a scraggy beard and dressed in a clean, gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black tie around his neck, which seemed odd to Joel. Who would wear something so classy during the apocalypse?

"Who are you? Where am I? Where is my group?" Joel frantically demanded.

"Don't worry. They are outside with the others." the man assured him. He rose his arm towards Joel in a formal fashion, offering a handshake. "My name is Bruce. We somewhat met each other back in the neighborhood earlier. I was the one who sneaked up and tackled you."

At first, Joel was hesitant. The man _seemed _nice enough. He even dressed and acted formally. But this all could have been a well-hidden ruse, something Joel didn't want to fall victim to again. Joel decided to play along and shook Bruce's hand. "The name's Joel."

"Oh, I'm already aware who you are. The little girl told me your name."

Joel raised a brow in curiosity. Little girl? Did he mean Ellie? Bruce noted his confused look and chuckled. He decided to bring Joel outside to meet the others. As they exited the tent, Joel received his first glimpse of their camp. It was located in a clearing away from the neighborhood and close to Utah Lake's coast. Around them were a row of tents propped up. Next to them was a large stash of supplies, ranging from food, water, weapons and clothes. A few feet away from the camp were a circle of people huddled around a campfire, laughing the night away. The sight lightened Joel's mood. It had been awhile since he saw people enjoying themselves.

"Well, if it isn't the old Texas Ranger! How was the nap, brother?" Tommy exclaimed, glad to see Joel was fine. He offered a seat next to him. Beside Tommy sat Maria and Ellie, who were roasting marshmallows with each other. Joel noted Ellie's expression. She looked amazed watching the white and fluffy treat cook above the flames, which caused Joel to smile. Tommy quickly handed him a warm drink. "Here, drink this. It will make you feel better."

Joel took a whiff of the drink, realizing it was a fresh cup of lemon tea. He drank the liquid, allowing it to soothe his body in warmth. From all he'd been through the past days, it was a welcome relief. _Thank the heavens. That feels good._

"Allow me to introduce you to everybody," Bruce said, taking a seat beside Joel. He pointed over to the Wilson family, made up of three members. In the middle was Gordon, the father. He was a Caucasian man in his mid-forties, with a clean shaven beard, bald head and an aggravating look in his eyes. One could easily mistake him for a hunter out of context. Beside him were his children. Mark, the eldest son, was a male in his mid-twenties. He appeared tall, with a heavy build showing through his black sweater, had short, spiky blonde hair and held a pout on his face, making him appear angry all the time. Alice, a petite, young girl, with curly blonde hair, sat beside her brother quietly as she rested her head on top of her knees, watching the campfire flicker in peace.

"I still can't fathom you bringing these _strangers_ into our camp, Bruce! You should have _bunged _them out when you had the chance!" Gordon called over to them in a raspy, British accent. His son, Mark, laughed at his father's remark and the two high-fived.

_Bung us out? Isn't that a British term? _Joel thought to himself. He assumed they were British, considering their accents and their _snobbish _behaviours.

"Gordon can be somewhat provoking, but he only does it to protect his kids." Bruce whispered to Joel. He turned over and pointed to the Parker family, who sat beside Maria and Ellie. Natalie, a mother in her early-forties, appeared much younger, at least to Joel, with her blue eyes that could relax a soul, her soft, light skin, and dark, polished shoulder-length hair. Beside was her teenage son, Kyle. He looked exactly like his mother, except he had short, messy hair with bangs swept to the sides, a small, lean body and wore a plain blue baseball shirt. Lying down beside him was his dog, Charlie, a male Shiba Inu with a red coat of fur. It relaxed on it's back, panting happily as is stared up in the night sky. At the moment, Natalie watched her son quietly draw in a notepad on his lap. She looked up to notice Joel staring at her and returned a heartwarming smile, causing him to look away in timidness.

"I like your dog. Can I pet him?" Ellie asked, watching as Charlie wagged it's tail across the grass. Kyle simply gave her a wavering look and resumed to his drawing. Ellie tilted her head in offence. "Fine, don't answer me, weirdo."

Joel was amused by Ellie's reaction. Atleast she tried to make friends here, unlike in Jackson County where she stayed home alone.

"How is that wound of yours doing, Tommy?" A woman asked as she took a seat beside Bruce, handing him a cup of tea she made. She had dark skin, similar to Bruce's, wore a white collar shirt and had her hair tied up in a bun sticking from behind her head.

"This is my wife, Jenny. She used to be a nurse and was able to patch up your brother after Mark accidentally shot him." Bruce explained to Joel, wrapping an arm around Jenny's shoulder. "By the way, I just want to apologize for attacking your group earlier. We'd thought you were hunters until we saw that girl of yours."

Bruce pointed to Ellie, who started to blow on her marshmallow as it caught on fire. It soon melted off her stick and fell on the ground, leaving a smoldering white goop on the grass. At first, she was disappointed, but soon laughed it off as Maria handed her another marshmallow. Seeing her enjoying herself made Joel happy, but wished he was a part of making that happen.

"So you and that Mark fellow attacked us, right? I remember seeing another woman with you. Where is she?" Joel asked Bruce. Suddenly, as if on cue, the woman returned to the group, dropping a few logs of wood for the campfire.

"You have _no _idea how long it took me to find good enough trees to chop down for firewood." the woman complained, wiping sweat from her forehead. The woman appeared to be physically fit, despite being only in her early-twenties. She wore black jeans with combat boots, a purple shirt and sported a black cap over her flowing, brunette hair. She handed a fire axe back to Bruce. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

"Were you a fireman?" Joel asked in curiosity. Bruce chuckled and shook his head.

"No. I used to be a university professor in Colorado. The fire axe is simply for self-defence against the infected." Bruce explained. He decided to introduce Joel to the woman. "Joel, this is Roselyn. I'm sure you've already acquainted with each other already."

"Sorry about what happened earlier. It was nothing personal. I hope _Lucy_ didn't hurt you too much." Roselyn apologized. Joel gave a confused look at the mention of Lucy. She pointed to the holster on her backpack, showing the crowbar she used to knock Joel out.

"You named your crowbar?" Tommy suddenly asked..

"Hey, don't judge me." Roselyn spoke back in an sassy tone, before taking a seat beside Ellie. "So what's for dinner?"

"We're making these things called S'mores." Ellie answered as she assembled the treat, mashing her marshmallow and a piece of chocolate between two graham crackers. Joel gave a jealous look. Ellie appeared to be making friendly with the strange group of people, while ignoring him. Was she purposely doing this to punish him? How long was she going to keep up this charade?

_At least she's enjoying herself. That's what you wanted anyway, right? For your girl to be happy._

"So Joel, now that you've met everyone in the group, mind telling us about yourself?" Bruce asked.

"Yes. Please _enlighten _us." Gordon spoke in sarcasm, taking a sip out from his whiskey.

Everyone around the campfire waited for him to answer. Joel simply shrugged. What exactly did they want to know about him? For most of his life, he was a hardcore survivalist who wanted to live and fought against the infected, just like everyone else. He began to ponder about what made him unique. He turned towards Ellie, who was the only one _not _looking at him waiting for an answer. At first, Joel frowned and felt disheartened to talk. But something inside him pushed him into using this introduction of himself as a solution to his problem.

"Uhm... I'm just a man trying to protect the people he loves. Just like everybody else in this world." Joel began to explain. He swished the cup of tea in his hands, carefully figuring out what to say. "Before this whole infection happened, I used to be a regular father who wanted to take care of his daughter." Joel let out a deep sigh. He couldn't believe he was going through with this. "Her... her name was Sarah. She died the day this whole infection broke out. So for the past twenty years, I did whatever I could to survive, whether good or bad. I had no idea what to do with myself. But then I met this young girl."

Ellie's heart skipped a beat, realizing what Joel was heading to. Sure enough, he talked about the entire journey he and Ellie made all the way from Boston, to where they were now. Joel recalled every moment in their journey. The happy times they shared. The desperate moments they struggled together. Although, he did omit the incident in Salt Lake City for her sake, he rambled about everything else while everybody eagerly listened to his story. As Ellie listened, she began to remember the strong bond she held with Joel beforehand and how she cherished him as a father. She suddenly felt stupid for omitting Joel from her life when he simply tried to keep her safe.

"I really like your story." Alice said in her quiet, innocent voice. The others agreed with her. As they spoke among themselves for a short while, Ellie stared back at Joel for the first time in days and gave him a small smile. Joel felt himself go weak.

_I'm always here for you, baby girl._

"You guys have been through a lot. Especially you, Ellie." Natalie said to her. "You must be _very_ lucky to have a man like Joel watching over you."

"Yeah. I guess I am." Ellie responded, keeping the smile on her face as she looked down timidly.

"I've been pondering about this for the whole night, and after hearing Joel's story I finally made up my mind." Bruce spoke up. He looked over to Joel, Tommy, Maria and Ellie. "Would the four of you be interested in joining us?"

Joel and Tommy looked at each other and pondered for a moment. They didn't want to become a burden to this group, but they seemed to have everything they needed to survive. They were nice enough as well, sparing their lives and taking them to their camp. After the fall of Jackson, everything seemed to go downhill for them. And now with this shining opportunity coming into their grasp, they couldn't bother to decline it.

"We'd be more than happy to join with you guys. Thank you." Tommy answered. The group seemed delighted to have new members join them, except for Gordon and Mark, who cursed under their breaths.

"That's fantastic to hear! Alright, so here is our plan." Bruce began to explain to Joel and Tommy. He told them about hearing rumours of a safe zone in Los Angeles, where there was an immense amount of supplies to sustain an entire country for the next ten years. Bruce and his group had been planning to head to the city, but ran out of gas for their vehicles and were forced to stay in Saratoga Springs for the time being until they found more fuel.

"A safe zone in Los Angeles? Sounds a bit _too_ good to be true." Joel remarked. Tommy thought otherwise. The safe zone sounded promising. And it was their only option at the moment. Joel reluctantly agreed. "So all we need to do is find some gas and we're on our way?"

"Exactly." Bruce answered. He pointed towards the street off to the distance away from their camp. A yellow Hummer, owned by Gordon, and a silver Toyota, owned by Bruce, were parked beside each other. "There is even a spare truck we found with a working engine a few blocks away. If we find enough fuel, you two and your girls can use it as transportation."

"Sounds like a plan." Tommy said. He patted Joel on the shoulder and gave a smirk. After the chain of tragic events they'd been through, things were finally starting to look up for them.

Maybe they could have a bright future after all. Only time would tell.

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

* * *

**A/N: A new group has appeared! This is one of the moments I've been waiting for. With the addition of these characters, a new dynamic is thrown into the story, branching out many possible story arcs I have planned. There is only so much I can do with Joel and Ellie, but if I want to develop and expand them as characters, I need to add more interaction in this story. I like to think of this new group dynamic to be similar to what is seen in the Walking Dead series, which I'm also a huge fan of.**

**More detailed biographies of these characters, including Joel and Ellie, will be posted on my profile sometime during these week. Keep an eye out!**

**Thanks for your support! Bye for now! :D**

* * *

_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~**_


	6. SPRING - Friendly

**-CHAPTER 6: FRIENDLY-**

**-SPRING SAGA-**

_Yesterday a group of strangers attacked us. Luckily, they were nice enough to bring us to their camp._  
_Nothing seems fishy about them. They look welcoming enough. Just for now._  
_Joel told me we'd be joining them to Los Angeles. Apparently there's a safe zone there._  
_I wonder what it's like over by the coast. I hope it's nice._

Ellie read over her recently finished entry within the pages. She had just awoken and decided to write in her diary to rouse her mind. She sat alone in the spare tent Bruce's group lent to them. There were two sleeping bags; one for Tommy and Maria, the other for Joel and Ellie to share. The _Savage Starlight _comic Joel found the day before laid on its open pages beside her.

"I wonder how Daniela is going to get out of this one." Ellie remarked, looking over to the last panel of the comic. The words, _To be continued... _spread across the end of the issue. She had spent all of last night reading it after she and Joel reconciled.

Ellie had thought over about Joel's lie back in Salt Lake City. The horror of Marlene's death and how she died hit her hard in the stomach. Joel had killed her. In his defense, he did it to protect Ellie. He hoped she would have understood in the moment. But she was struck with so much grief and anger all at once, Ellie could only yell and hold a grudge to him for the next week. It was only until last night her eyes had opened. She recalled to when Joel recounted their journey together when he introduced himself to Bruce's group.

_After all we've been through, I feel stupid for getting angry at him. He did it to protect me. Like he always has._

Still, Ellie could not fathom the fact Marlene had tried to sacrifice her life only for a vaccine. After their encounter with the Reapers, Ellie decided there was no good with the solution. She would _never _want to be a part of a what she now thought was a devilish plan. A vaccine only brought out the worst in people.

_They're monsters. Sick monsters. Fuck those Reapers._

But with the dream of her becoming hope to mankind gone, what was Ellie's purpose in life now? After everything she'd been through, it all seemed for nothing. She felt like nothing more than to be Joel's baby girl. Although, she didn't complain, she wanted to be more than that. She wanted to have more meaning in her life. Ellie rolled her sleeve up to reveal the scar on her arm and contemplated over her existence.

_What can I be? What can I offer to this world?_

Ellie decided to grab something to eat. She stuffed the diary in her backpack and exited the tent. She welcomed the serenity of the day. The sky above Saratoga Springs was clear, the air was comfortably warmer and the camp was peacefully quiet. Ellie walked around, noticing only Maria was there with the other two women: Natalie and Jenny. The three conversed as they cooked over the campfire.

"That smells good." Ellie said, looking over to see what they were cooking.

"Why thank you. It's a special recipe of mine." Natalie explained. She stirred the pot of soup with a wooden spoon. The mother loved to cook. Even before the infection, she deeply enjoyed cooking for others. "I had to improvise with the ingredients we had though. It's not like we can just head over to the supermarket nowadays."

"And yet, your cooking is supurb!" Maria complimented her. She had taken a few taste tests earlier and was surprised how delicious Natalie's food was. "You could be on par with Paula Deen."

_What are they talking about? _Ellie thought. Supermarkets? Paula Deen? These words were foreign to her. She decided not to bother with it and instead ask where the others were.

"Joel and Tommy already went with Bruce, Gordon and Mark to find fuel while you were asleep." Jenny explained. She pointed over towards the direction of the tents, where the lake was. "Kyle and Alice went over by the lake to walk Charlie not too long ago."

"Why don't you go find them? I'm sure they could use the company. And you could take the time to know each other." Maria suggested. She remembered back in Jackson County how Ellie was always by herself. This was a good opportunity for her to make friends.

"Might as well." Ellie said. Although, she was a little uneasy with the idea. Alice was a young girl who seemed quiet to her. And she remembered how Kyle gave her a weird look when she asked to pet Charlie last night. But they were the only ones close to her age. It wouldn't hurt to try and befriend them.

As Ellie headed towards the lake, she spotted Roselyn sitting by herself behind one of the tents. The young woman had her baseball cap covering her eyes, while her crowbar laid against her. In her hands appeared to be a black device with an antennae sticking from the top. Curious, Ellie decided to talk to her.

"What is that thing?" Ellie asked.

"It's a walkie-talkie. Nothing important to you, kid." Roselyn answered, keeping her focus on the device. She was currently using a screwdriver on the back, apparently trying to fix it.

"I was just asking, that's all." Ellie explained herself. "Hey, can't you talk to other people with that thing?"

"Well yeah, but you need the other that comes with it. I found this one by itself."

"Where did the other one go then?"

"Beats me."

"Did you try finding it?"

"You know, you ask a lot of questions, kid." Roselyn stated. She put the walkie-talkie down and made eye contact, giving a slightly annoyed look at Ellie. "You ever heard the saying, _Curiosity killed the cat?"_

"I don't even know what a cat is!" Ellie defended herself. Roselyn rolled her eyes and went back to the walkie-talkie. Ellie crossed her arms. "Sheesh, sorry for taking interest, I guess. Just thought I'd try to get to know you."

"There's nothing _good_ you need to know about me, kid."

"Whatever. You were the one who knocked Joel out with that crowbar anyway."

"Aren't you biased. It was in self-defence. You know it. I recall seeing you lunge at Bruce with that switchblade of yours."

Ellie had enough of her attitude and left Roselyn by herself, continuing towards the lake coast. _Why does she seem so uptight? No wonder she sits alone. Nobody probably talks to her. _Ellie thought. Their conversation made her nervous. If she couldn't make friendly with Roselyn, how was she going to acquaint herself with Kyle and Alice.

_Maybe I'll just talk to the dog. The worst it can do is bark._

The lake coast was not too far from their camp. Ellie gazed around the area and marveled at the sight. Small shrubbery covered the edges of the coast. The water glistened from the sunlight as the waves rocked gently back and forth. The mountains from the other side of the lake added to the grand sight. Ellie walked around the coast, admiring it's beauty. It took her awhile to find the other kids. Kyle and Alice sat along the edge. Kyle had a notepad in his lap and focused on his drawing. Alice gazed out to the lake with a blank look as she listened to both the waves swaying and Kyle's scribbling. Behind them, Charlie sat on his back, panting like any other dog would do.

"Uhm... hi there." Ellie spoke, awkwardly waving as she approached them. The kids ignored her. On the other hand, Charlie turned his head towards her and continued to pant with his tongue out. "So... what are you guys up to?"

No answer.

"Can you guys hear me? Hello?"

Still no answer.

_Am I invisible to them? Why won't they talk to me?_

Ellie disregarded Kyle and Alice and decided to turn her attention to Charlie, who was at least willing to look at her. As she motioned her hand to pet him, Charlie let out a loud bark and stood up fiercely.

"Whoa! Calm down boy! I'm not here to hurt you." Ellie yelped, taking a step back cautiously.

"He doesn't like strangers." Alice spoke softly. Ellie was surprised to hear a word from the little girl.

"Well, maybe I don't want to be a stranger. Maybe I'm trying to make friends."

"Try giving him food." Alice suggested.

"But I don't have any."

"Then I guess you can't be his friend then."

_This girl seems such a downer._ Ellie thought. Alice had spoken with a soft, monotonous British accent. It kind of gave Ellie the chills to hear her voice. But at least she was able to talk, unlike Kyle. The teenage boy kept his focus on his notepad, paying no attention to Ellie.

Carefully walking around Charlie, Ellie went and peeked over Kyle's shoulder to see what he was scribbling. On the page was a very-detailed sketch of the lake, including the mountains in the background. The sketch matched perfectly with the environment, all down to the rippling effect in the water.

"Wow. That's a pretty cool picture you've got there." Ellie remarked. She noticed the pencil had stopped scribbling. Kyle turned towards her and made eye contact.

"...Really?" Kyle asked. Ellie nodded. His blue eyes shimmered from the light as he gave a small smile from her comment. He turned back to his sketch. "Uh... thanks, I guess."

"Thanks, I guess?" Ellie repeated him, crossing her arms in a playful manner. "What? Was my compliment not good enough for you?"

"N-no! It's just... uhm... " Kyle stuttered. "Look... I-I didn't mean to offend you... I meant to say-"

"I'm just messing with you! No need to worry." Ellie chuckled. She was amused by Kyle's panicked behaviour. She decided to take a seat beside him and gazed out towards the lake. She gave a relaxed sigh. "I'll be honest. This place looks pretty amazing, don't you think?"

Kyle didn't answer as he was already back to focusing on his sketch.

"Hey, that's rude! I'm talking to you." Ellie poked him to get his attention.

"Oh... sorry." Kyle apologized. He scratched the back of his head nervously and cleared his throat. "I didn't hear you because I was drawing... and yeah... sorry."

"You aren't good at talking, are you?" Ellie told him. Kyle simply shrugged, which caused her to chuckle at his timid behaviour. "Don't worry. I'm not like the infected. I won't bite if you try to talk."

"What do you want from me, anyway?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just thought we'd talk. Get to know each other. Isn't that what kids did back in the day?"

Kyle shrugged, which Ellie noticed. He seemed to be oblivious about life before the apocalypse like she was. What were kids supposed to talk about anyway? At the moment, they didn't know any movies, or had much hobbies. It was all about surviving.

"How old are you?" Ellie asked.

"Sixteen." Kyle answered.

"Aww, shit." Ellie silently swore under her breath. Other than Alice, she was the youngest in the group by a year. Kyle heard her swear and gave a concerned look.

"Did you just curse? My mother said it's not polite to curse."

"Is that _really_ a big deal? The world is filled with monsters and all you care about is my swearing? Nice to see what your priorities are."

"Well... my mother said that not swearing is a way to keep our sanity in this world."

"You calling me crazy?" Ellie questioned, causing Kyle to sweat in panic once again. Ellie rolled his eyes at him. "Don't worry, I'm kidding. Geez, you take things _way _too seriously."

"Sorry..."

"Uhm... I wasn't asking for an apology." Ellie said. Kyle suddenly blushed in embarrassment and slapped himself in the forehead, which cause Ellie to chuckle again. "Aren't you a little hard on yourself. It's totally fine."

Ellie continued talking to Kyle, who was still slightly awkward and shy at times, but began to slowly open up to her. Ellie was able to learn a number of things from him. Kyle and his mother, Natalie, originated from North Dakota, where he grew up. Due to personal reasons, the two fled from the city and headed south, eventually meeting up and joining with Bruce's group. Hobbies that interested him were sketching and playing on an electronic handheld he found called a "Game Boy". Kyle liked to keep things to himself and found comfort in doing things alone. Especially drawing, which he'd grown a talent on.

"What about your dog? How'd you two meet?" Ellie asked.

"Now _that_ is a long story." Kyle said, smiling as he turned back and pet Charlie on the belly, which the dog enjoyed. Kyle explained he and his mother found the Shiba Inu wandering alone on the road when he was younger. Charlie seemed to have been abandoned by his previous owner. He would stumble around in a weak manner, looked like a skeleton and whined loudly in pain. Kyle and Natalie took the dog in their care and nursed Charlie back to health. He was loyal to the Parker's ever since.

"I'm sure he's really thankful you found him. You practically saved his life." Ellie said. Her comment made Kyle smile. For some reason, the way his eyes shimmered, along with his dimples as he smiled, made Ellie smile. Through all the horrible things she'd been through the past week, seeing that she made someone happy, made her happy.

_This guy isn't too bad. He's still weird, though._

"So... you know a few things about me. How about you?" Kyle asked. Ellie thought for a moment, wondering what she could say about herself. There wasn't much she could say. She would have talked about her journey, but Joel already explained it to the whole group last night.

"Well, I guess I'm just a girl who's been through a lot of shit lately." Ellie started to explain. She suddenly became silent as memories of the previous week flooded her mind. The massacre in Jackson County. The evil acts of the Reapers. The revelation of Marlene and the Fireflies. Just thinking about the events made Ellie hyperventilate in anxiety. She began to curl her body up as she breathed heavily.

"Uhm... Ellie? You're freaking me out." Kyle said. He put a hand on Ellie's shoulder, which caught her by surprise as she slapped his hand away. Kyle stared in shock. "Ellie! What's happening?"

"I... I..." Ellie repeated. She took a moment to calm herself down and control her breathing. She rubbed her forehead. "Sorry... I guess a panicked for a second."

"Geez, you had me worried for awhile."

"I'm fine now. Really."

"Did you remember something you _didn't_ want to?" Alice spoke up. Ellie had forgotten Alice was there since she was quiet the whole time. Ellie nodded to the little girl, who kept her eyes on the lake.

"I've been having nightmares recently." Ellie decided to confess to them. She thought they deserved an explanation after witnessing her anxiety attack. She skimmed through what she, Joel, Tommy and Maria had been through after leaving Jackson County and before meeting with Bruce's group, without going into full details. She didn't want the memories to come back to her again.

"Oh... really? I can't believe that you went through _all_ that... I'm sorry." Kyle expressed in sympathy. On the other hand, Alice kept the same, emotionless look on her face. The terror of Ellie's experiences didn't seem to faze her. Kyle spoke. "Thinking about what you've been through, you must be really lucky to have your _dad_ with you."

"My dad?"

"Yeah. His name is Joel, right?"

"No, I think you misunderstood." Ellie corrected him. Although, she thought of Joel as a father, in reality, he wasn't. It also went vice-versa. She would never be his actual daughter. That spot was for Sarah, and Ellie understood. "We just really care about each other, that's it. He even said so last night. Weren't you listening at all?"

"Oh... I was probably focused on my sketches... my bad."

"Hmph. Of course you were."

"I really liked the story Joel told us yesterday." Alice recalled. "It wish_ my_ daddy was like him."

Ellie could only look in confusion. Was Alice being serious? Gordon was the father of her, and Ellie remembered how loud-mouthed and snobby he was yesterday, especially when he complained to Bruce about bringing Joel and the group to their camp.

"Alice and her family have been going through problems as well." Kyle explained. He told Ellie how uncooperative Gordon would be, while his son, Mark, who was also Alice's older brother, would blindly follow his father's commands without judgement, adding his own aggresive spin to it. The others assumed they became like this from the death of Gordon's wife, which the backstory remains to be unknown. This may have also explained how distant and somber Alice was.

_Shit. That's terrible._ Ellie thought to herself. Alice seemed to have suffered through loss at already a young age. Ellie tried to comfort her. "I'm really sorry for what you've been through. Believe me, it's never easy to get over someone you lost." Alice continued to stare out into the lake, with the same expressionless face. Ellie had thought she was simply shy, but to know the truth, she finally understood her behaviour.

"Our lives can never be easy, can they?" Kyle stated.

"We've just got to keep looking for the light." Ellie remarked. She sighed as they sat there in silence, admiring the beauty of the lake, while recounting their own lives and reminding themselves of the world they were forced to live in.

* * *

A few hours had passed into the evening as the sun set behind the horizon of the lake, giving off an orange hue in the sky as the light reflected off the water. By then, Joel, Tommy, Bruce, Gordon and Mark returned, having found a few cans of gas in the southern parts of Saratoga Springs. At the moment, Bruce was showing Joel the truck they were going to use.

"Some _genius_ decided to leave the keys in here. Who knows what they were thinking at the time." Bruce explained as he went in and took them out of the ignition, handing the keys to Joel. "Congratulations, you're the new owner of this truck."

"Must be my lucky day." Joel spoke with sarcasm. With a vehicle in possession, getting around would be much easier than walking. The only problem was gas. Currently they only had enough to travel a few miles. They would eventually need to search for more later on.

"You really handled yourself back there." Bruce said as the duo walked back to the camp. Earlier that day on their gas hunt, the men broke into the garage of a house, only to be greeted by a large number of infected. At one moment, Bruce had been pinned down by a trio of Runners. Luckily, Joel put a bullet in them before they took a nibble out of him. "Thanks again for saving my ass."

"It's nothing special. I did what I had to do."

"Let me just say, you have some _really _outstanding survival skills. You even surprised me with that _nail bomb _idea. I would have _never _thought of that."

"Well, give credit where it's due. A friend of mine taught me that." Joel explained. He reminded himself about Bill. It had been almost a year since he last saw him. Was he still alive, alone in his town? He suddenly felt sorry for Bill. To live and survive by yourself, without anybody to interact with was simply depressing. _  
_

_It was his choice, though. I hope the fellow is doing alright._

As they reached camp, they found everybody circled around the campfire. They were all eating dinner, which was the soup Natalie had started to brew in the morning. Everyone appeared delighted as they chowed down.

"I must say, this the best cooking I've tasted in years. You are a really talented chef, Natalie." Tommy complimented, taking another spoonful of the soup. Joel took a seat beside Ellie as Maria handed him a bowl.

"So how was your day, kiddo?" Joel asked Ellie.

"I guess it was alright." Ellie responded. She turned over to Kyle, who was getting his hair fixed by Natalie, albeit embarrassed. Alice was silently stirring her soup beside her older brother. "I made a few new friends."

"Well that's great of you." Joel felt grateful at her accomplishment. Ellie seemed to be happy at the moment. She deserved to be after the events they'd been through so far.

"I really needed this scrumptious soup, especially after Joel's cock up!" Gordon expressed in arrogance. Joel's mood quickly changed from content to annoyed. He had forgotten _he_ was the one who accidentally released the infected from the garage. But they made it out alive. For some reason, Gordon wouldn't let him live it down and complained about for the rest of the day.

"I'm sure it was an honest mistake." Jenny assured him. Gordon thought otherwise.

"A mistake? Do you realize _your_ husband almost died because of Joel?! You should have seen how _daft_ he looked when he realized there were infected inside. The stupid fool almost killed all of us!"

"Hey! You can't talk to him like that!" Ellie shouted at Gordon. "Joel's smart! He'd never do anything _that _stupid! You're the fool!"

"Why don't you shut up, you _mewling_ quim." Mark snapped at her. "You were never there. You don't deserve a say in this argument. Just accept the fact your man did something foolish."

Ellie stood up and was about to tell Mark off when Joel stopped her. "Baby, please relax. They're right. I did make a mistake. I have to accept that responsibility. There's no need to get mad at them."

"Listen to your man, little girl. Besides, it's rude to yell at the ones who took you and your friends in. You need to learn some manners, my dear!" Gordon remarked in a snarky manner. Ellie glared at him as she sat back down.

Roselyn had sat beside her and was amused by Ellie's tantrum. "Guess it wasn't smart to explode in their faces, huh?"

"Oh, shut up." Ellie said.

"I suggest we all get as much rest as we can. We have a big day tomorrow." Bruce told them. The others agreed. They needed to get up bright and early if they wanted to cover as much ground between them and Los Angeles. The sooner they got to the safe zone, the better their lives would be.

"To Los Angeles." Joel said to Ellie. She rested her head on his shoulder, finally feeling the exhaustion of the day get to her. They both knew this journey would not be easy. But with the help of their new comrades and their devotion to each other, the duo felt like they could do this.

But nothing would prepare for the challenges that awaited in the days beyond them.

**-END OF SPRING-**

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**A/N: First of all, I appreciate the feedback from last week. My aim with the new characters is to hopefully get readers to care about them as much as Joel and Ellie. On my profile, I have written up brief summaries for each character in the story to allow a better insight on them. Go check it out!  
**

**In terms of story development, we have now reached the end of Spring. The whole purpose of this saga was to set up the tone of the story and the new characters. Next week, we're moving on to the Summer saga! You can expect a _lot_ of jaw-dropping moments in the coming chapters!**

**Thank you for all the support everyone has given so far! I always enjoy reading your comments. Bye for now! :D**

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_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~**_


	7. SUMMER - Gamble

**A/N: Now we begin a new saga in this story: Summer! Just like in the game, we'll be going through all the seasons. **

**Just want to mention how grateful I am with all the responses and support you fellow readers have given so far! It's pleasing to know you're making something that others are willing to read. Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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**-CHAPTER 7: GAMBLE-**

**-SUMMER SAGA-**

Days had passed since the group left Saratoga Springs. Overtime, the calm breeze of Spring subsided as the heat of Summer welcomed itself to the group. They didn't mind the change in weather, but at times the blaze from the rays of the sun would tire them out. Most of the group switched to lighter clothing to combat the heat, but it wasn't enough to cool them. The heat became _much_ worse when they entered the state of Nevada, where most of the land was exposed as a barren desert.

"Fuck! This heat is killing me!" Ellie complained. She sat in the back of the truck and fanned herself with her diary. At the moment, Joel drove the truck they found in Saratoga Springs, with Tommy in the front passenger seat and Maria sitting beside Ellie.

"Too bad the goddamn air conditioner doesn't work in this truck!" Tommy complained, slamming the dashboard with his fists.

"Honey, please stop with the banging. It's _very _irritating." Maria told him. She was rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. The heat had given her endless headaches. She'd done as much as she could to soothe the pain. Tommy's banging certainly wouldn't help her.

"I'm sorry dear. I'm just frustrated with this heat." Tommy apologized.

"Just be patient, little brother. Maybe we can find a cool area to rest when we reach the city." Joel assured him. He stared ahead and saw their next destination sprawl out in the vast distance: Las Vegas. They had been driving endlessly for days and to see the sight gave him a huge amount of relief. Usually, driving from Saratoga Springs to Las Vegas would take a couple of hours, but with many delays from finding more fuel to restocking on supplies, it took them longer than necessary.

_We're just a state away from Los Angeles. This will be all over soon. _Joel thought. He looked into the side mirror of the truck, seeing the vehicles of Gordon and Bruce follow behind him, which carried the rest of their comrades. Overtime, the Saratoga group seemed to accept them ever since they met. They may have had differences at times, especially with Gordon and Mark Wilson, but their bonds grew to be able to work together as a team.

"I'm just hoping the safe zone in Los Angeles is real." Tommy spoke to Joel. "Do you really think it is safe there?

"As you said, it's our only option so far." Joel reminded him. The Saratoga group strongly put their fate with Los Angeles. But how safe was the zone there? Would it be as peaceful as Jackson County was? Or would it be strict as Boston? Joel remembered the brutal days when he lived in the quarantine. He hoped it wouldn't be that way again. He wanted a happy life. For him. For his group. For Ellie.

The group eventually entered Las Vegas. It appeared like any other city in the apocalypse; the streets were destroyed and filled with overturned vehicles, the buildings appeared deteriorated from the outside and plants slowly began to take over the once populated area. Joel carefully drove the truck on the rough road, with the other following closely behind. The city seemed safe for the most part. There were no signs of infected or bandits anywhere. All that accompanied them was the eerie silence that echoed throughout the city.

"Here, take this turn." Tommy said, pointing to a sign that read "Las Vegas Blvd."

As the group drove down the street they were greeted with the majestic architecture of various casinos and hotels that popped out of the ravaged city. Even in the midst of the apocalypse, the buildings retained the majority of the structure and presented small signs of wreck.

"Whoa. I've never seen trees like _that _before!" Ellie exclaimed, poking her head out and gazing at the palm trees in the middle of the boulevard. Across from them was a tall, Y-shaped hotel with the words "Treasure Island" on the side. She gazed around at the other casinos on the street. This wasn't just another city. To Ellie, this was another world.

Suddenly, the sound of honking came from Gordon's Hummer.

"Great. Not again." Joel groaned. He stopped the truck in the middle of the street as he and Tommy got out. They walked back to find Gordon attempting to start his Hummer, but to no avail. The engine simply sputtered and died.

"How did you run out of fuel already? We just refilled earlier this morning!" Tommy complained.

"Shut your mouth! It's not my fault this _duff _of a vehicle consumes gas faster than we can refill it!" Gordon complained, climbing out of his Hummer. This problem had been going on ever since they left Saratoga and had caused the majority of their delays.

"Did Gordon run out of fuel again?" Bruce asked as he parked his Toyota beside them. The men nodded. Bruce sighed. "Well, I guess we're staying here for tonight until we find some more gas."

"Where the _hell _are we going to stay then?" Gordon asked them.

"Is that a serious question?" Tommy remarked. He pointed around to the buildings around the boulevard. "Look at all these hotels! There is probably enough for each of us to live in."

"Put a _sock _in it! I was only kidding! Stop being so gullible you _shite_!"

"What did you call me?"

"Now settle down, the both of you!" Joel cut between them. Tommy and Gordon simply glared at one another in despise. Joel tried to reason with them. "Geez, can't we have a day _without_ the two of you up at each others necks?"

"Maybe I could if your brother of yours stopped being a pissy pile of rubbish!" Gordan remarked. He walked to the trunk of his Hummer to pick his things up. Tommy almost lunged at him before Joel stopped him.

"Tommy, just ignore what he said." Joel spoke in a calm manner. Tommy could only give an agitated look. "Now hear me out. I'm not a fan of Gordon's behaviour either, but as long as we're together, we need to work as a team. We've been doing okay so far. Let's not mess this up."

"Why don't you try telling that to the British punk then?" Tommy argued back. He soon realized his aggressive behaviour from the surprised look Joel gave him. "I'm sorry. This heat is just getting to my head, that's all."

Joel gave his brother an understanding nod and headed back to their truck, taking the keys out of the ignition.

"What was the shouting all about?" Ellie asked as she took her belongings and climbed out of the truck.

"Just another little argument between Tommy and Gordon." Joel explained. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Gordon started it. That _asshole_ sure knows how to piss off everybody. Speaking of him, do you even understand half the things he says? I can vividly remember hearing him shouting the word _bollocks _once. What does that even mean?"

Joel chuckled, understanding what she was talking about. "Well, he _is_ from a place where they speak in a different manner. Their English ain't exactly the same as ours."

"That's just stupid." Ellie remarked. She leaned against the truck and asked where they would spend the night. The group would need to find refuge in Las Vegas for the night and hopefully find more fuel for their journey to Los Angeles. Joel explained they would most likely take over one of the hotels around the boulevard. Ellie looked around and pointed to a hotel a few blocks away from them. "Why don't we take that one? Looks fancy enough."

A tall sign poked out of the street that read "Caeser's Palace" in big, red letters. The hotel was made up of large, white marble towers. In the front were various stone structures in the shape of pillars, ruins of a colosseum and statues depicting Roman Empire figures. There was a large fountain, which was empty. Vines and grass covered the area as nature reclaimed it and gave the palace a more ancient look to it.

"I've always wanted to sleep in a palace." Joel remarked. He and the others ventured towards Caeser's Palace. They entered the lobby, which was a giant, circular room that consisted of marble floors decorated with elegant pictures of Roman figures, portraits hung across the walls and a fountain with two statues sat in the middle of the room. The only light in the lobby was from the huge hole in the ceiling that crumbled throughout the years. The beams of light focused on the statues, giving them a dazzling appearance in contrast of the dark corners of the lobby

"Wow, look how that picture is painted." Kyle commented, walking over to a portrait on the lobby walls. Curious, Ellie joined him and was also marveled at how glorious the portrait was. It depicted a semi-naked man riding on a chariot atop the clouds while pure white horses pulled him along.

"The old guy kinda creeps me out, but I _love _the horses in this picture." Ellie praised. Kyle nodded in agreement.

"So who do we check-in with?" Maria asked the others. She leaned over to the lobby's counter and peered over it, giving a shocked look as she found the dead corpse of a woman rotting alongside the counter. A bullet shot was on the side of her head. In their hands was an empty gun. Maria covered her mouth, but couldn't control herself and threw up on the ground, to the shock of everybody.

"Are you okay, honey?" Tommy asked her as he rushed to her side. Maria breathed heavily as she crouched over. She nodded to her husband.

"Yeah... I'm fine. It's just... the smell of the body. And the heat as well. It's all killing me."

"You need to lie down somewhere." Jenny demanded. She took out a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to Maria. "Drink this. You'll dehydrate yourself if you keep vomiting, so it's best to keep replacing your fluids."

"Thanks Jenny. We appreciate it." Tommy said to her. Being a nurse, Jenny knew exactly how to remedy an injury or illness. The group were lucky to have her expertise.

"Come on, let's head upstairs. Maybe we can find a few rooms for us to hole up in." Joel told the group. He led them to the room suites. The hallways were left dim and had dirt on the surfaces, but other than that, everything seemed normal. The group took over a few rooms clustered together, each one containing lots of space within the bedroom and bathrooms. A large window in each room gave a spectacular look to the abandoned streets outside.

"Awesome! A bed." Ellie exclaimed. She dove onto the king-sized bed and laid her whole body across the mattress, hugging the pillows beside her. It had been a long time since she'd slept on a comfortable bed.

"Don't take up the whole thing. Leave room for me." Joel told her.

"Pssh! Yeah right! This bed is _mine!_" Ellie teased. She ended up getting a pillow thrown lightly into her face by Joel. "Okay! We'll share!"

"Who said _I _wanted to share?" Joel joked. This time he ended up getting a pillow thrown at him by Ellie, which caused her to laugh. The two got into a short pillow fight before being interrupted.

"Seems like you two are enjoying the place." Bruce commented as he walked into their room. He motioned Joel outside to the hallway. The two stepped out and talked. "Now that everyone has settled in, we have to decide who will hunt for supplies today. If you didn't notice, we're starting to run low on ammo and food along with the fuel."

"I guess it was gonna happen eventually." Joel said. They were stocked with supplies back in Saratoga, which seemed like a lot at the time. Who knew they would go through most of it already. Joel pondered to who would go on a supply run and came up with an idea. He called Tommy and Gordon out to the hallways. "The both of you are going to search for supplies together, alright?"

"Haha! Very funny, Joel. Glad to see you've kept your humor this whole time." Tommy said, letting out a forced chuckle. It took him a moment to realize Joel was being serious. "Wait, you actually want me to go with Gordon? You _really _think that is a good idea?"

"This is bollocks! There is absolutely _no_ way I'd go anywhere with this clown!" Gordon argued, pointing to Tommy.

"Did you call me a clown? Because the last time I checked I didn't wear any crazy wig or big, red shoes."

"Either way, you're funny-looking to me!"

"Why I oughta-"

"Enough! Stop acting like children and work together for once. We are trying to survive here, damn it!" Joel shouted, causing Tommy and Gordon to stop bickering. _He's right,_ they both thought. They had women and kids who depended on them for their survival. They needed to be mature and do what was best for their group, even if they hated each other's guts. Tommy and Gordon quickly prepared for their supply run and left the hotel without speaking a word to one another.

"Are you certain it was a good idea let those two go by themselves?" Bruce asked Joel.

"It's a huge gamble with those two. But they _need _to learn how to cooperate. It's the only way we can endure in a world like this." Joel explained. With supplies being taken care of, he could focus on other things. "I'm going to search around the hotel by myself and make sure there aren't any infected hiding. Hopefully I can also find some supplies lying around here."

Joel left Bruce to watch over the others as he ventured alone around the area. In the meantime, everybody else began to settle down in their temporary quarters. Jenny continued to look after Maria in case she showed signs of being ill. Alice and Mark sat in the room quietly, while Roselyn tinkered around with her broken walkie-talkie in the hallway.

"Seriously, what is up with you and that radio?" Ellie asked as she walked out of her room and passed by Roselyn.

"None of your business, kid." Roselyn answered, annoyingly.

Ellie rolled her eyes and headed to where Kyle's room was. She peeked inside, finding nobody in the bedroom area except for Charlie, who lied comfortably on the bed as he panted happily. She was about to leave when she heard snipping noises coming from the bathroom. Curious, she headed inside and found Kyle sitting on the toilet, with Natalie clipping away at his hair.

"Oh... uhm... hey Ellie." Kyle said, giving a nervous look. He began to lower his head to hide his embarrassment when Natalie began to scold him.

"Honey, please don't move your head." Natalie told him. " I don't want to cut your ears off by accident!"

"Uh... may I ask what is going on?" Ellie spoke in confusion.

"Kyle's hair has become too shaggy for my taste. I need my baby to look clean."

"Mom! It's the apocalypse!" Kyle began to argue. "I don't think my hair really matters anymore."

"Nonsense! Soon, you'll grow up to be a man and you'll need to keep yourself well-groomed." Natalie turned to Ellie and inspected her. "Oh my, I just noticed your hair looks like rags! Maybe I can trim it for you after I am done with Kyle."

"No thanks. I like my hair the way it is." Ellie stated. She decided to leave the mother and son alone. She left, holding her laughter in. Seeing Kyle's look of embarrassment made her giggle, plus she thought it was cute. Ellie decided to check over Maria, who was joined by Jenny and Bruce.

"How is she?" Ellie asked.

"I'm doing fine." Maria assured her. She lied down in comfort across the bed, holding the half-empty bottle of water in one hand, while rubbing her stomach with the other.

"She isn't running a fever, which is a good sign." Jenny stated. "It's quite possible the smell of the corpse _did_ get to her. She hasn't thrown up since then."

"That's a relief." Ellie said. She turned over to Bruce, who sat in a chair beside the window of the bedroom. In his hand was a novel. His eyes were glued to the pages. Ellie walked over to him. "What's that you've got there?"

"It's a classic novel I used to teach with high school students." Bruce answered her. He turned the book over to reveal the title: _Of Mice And Men._

"Didn't Joel say you were a university professor?"

"I was. But before that I taught in a high school. I would teach kids around your age about how to become better readers and writers."

Ellie nodded to Bruce in fascination. The only education she received in her years were from military schools. All she remembered were the strict lessons on surviving and the constant beatings she got from everybody. She never thought before the infection happened, kids would learn to do fun things such as writing.

"That sounds cool. I wish I went to high school." Ellie remarked in wonderment. The comment made Bruce smile, then made him feel sorry for her. Ellie reminded him of the students he used to teach, specifically those who had a genuine interest in learning. Because of the infection, she was never given an opportunity to experience high school.

"Here. Why don't you give this book a read?" Bruce said, handing Ellie the book. At first she was hesitant on taking it, but Bruce assured her he didn't mind parting with it. "I've read this book a thousand times. You could even say I memorized every little word. I want you to experience the amazing story this book has to offer."

"Gee, thanks." Ellie said. She flipped open the book and gazed upon the countless number of words that filled the pages. This was very different from her _Savage Starlight _comics, which were filled with colorful pictures and little dialogue. But she was fond of reading and was willing to try something new.

_I guess I'm going to be busy tonight._

* * *

Joel took the whole afternoon to explore the entire area of Caeser's Palace, checking through many of the hotel rooms, lounge and casino area. To his surprise, there were no signs of any infected around the area. Unfortunately, there was no ammo or food either. The place had been stripped clean. Giving up, he headed back to where his group was.

_I hope Tommy is doing better than I am. _Joel thought. He quickly shook his head. _What am I thinking? He's probably doing worse with Gordon screaming into his ears._

As Joel walked through the hotel lobby, sounds of gunfire emitted from the outside, followed by the shouts of men. Joel recognized who it was.

_Why are Tommy and Gordon screaming?_

Joel took the rifle out from his bag and checked over his ammunition. He rushed out of the hotel and frantically looked around the street. A few blocks south from Caeser's Palace were Tommy and Gordon. They crouched behind a vehicle as bullets bounced in their direction. Shooting at them were a trio of bandits. Joel almost froze in place when he recognized the skull masks they wore.

_Reapers? But how?_

"Damnit! I'm out of ammo!" Tommy shouted, removing the empty clip from his pistol.

"You arse! How could you waste all of it already?" Gordon argued in frustration.

_They need my help._ Joel found a place to hide and aimed his rifle towards the Reapers. As they closed in on Tommy and Gordon, Joel shot a bullet through each of their heads, killing them instantly. He checked to see if there were any more Reapers ahead, then rushed out to Tommy and Gordon.

"Well look at this, our _hero_ has come to save the day." Gordon spoke in a sarcastic tone, annoyed by Joel's presence.

"Show some goddamn respect!" Tommy growled at him. He thanked Joel. "Am I glad you came to our rescue. Those guys just showed up out of nowhere."

"Come on, we need to get the both of you inside." Joel demanded. The three of them headed back into the hotel. The others gathered into the hallway, surprised by their hectic return.

"What the hell happened? I heard gunshots outside." Bruce asked them. Tommy explained how they were ambushed by the trio of Reapers while he and Gordon were on their supply run. "Reapers? You mean those thugs that attacked your home from before?"

"They aren't just thugs. They are murderers." Joel corrected him. Everyone suddenly panicked at the mention of murderers.

"We need to get out of this city as soon as possible!" Natalie demanded, clutching Kyle in anxiety. "This place isn't safe, especially for the kids."

"Did you guys find any gas?" Joel asked Tommy. His brother nodded.

"It's the whole reason why the Reapers found us." Tommy began to explain. He and Tommy had searched through every building down the boulevard until they reached Luxor Hotel, a hotel made up by a large, glass pyramid and had an Egyptian theme to it. "We saw a few Reapers carrying a handful of fuel tanks into the hotel. That's when they spotted us and chased us down the street. Luckily Joel saved us just in time."

"You're going to hate me for saying this, but we need to go back and get those fuel cans." Joel stated. Everybody looked at him in shock, especially Gordon. He began to argue at Joel.

"And what's your plan, Sherlock? You suggest we casually walk in and ask if we can borrow a few gallons of gas?" Gordon remarked. "You must be suicidal if you want to face those bastards."

"Then what do you suggest we do? They know we're here, but they don't know what we're capable of. If we play our cards right, we can sneak in and take their fuel without them knowing." Joel explained. "So... who's with me?"

The hallway became silent as everyone was unsure how to answer.

"I'll go." Roselyn spoke up. "Sneaking around blood-thirsty murderers sounds thrilling anyway."

"I'm not letting my brother go alone. So count me in." Tommy said. Maria quickly objected his decision, but Tommy reasoned with her. "Maria, we have no other choice. I want our group to be safe, and the only way that can happen is if I help out."

"We could use all the help we can get." Joel asked Gordon. The man simply gave him a reluctant look.

"You are a moron for coming up with this dim-witted plan." Gordon told him. "Yet I'll give you credit for having the brains to at least_ beg_ for my help."

"I'll take that as a yes then."

It was settled. Joel and his group would venture to Luxor Hotel and find a way to take the Reaper's fuel supply. They decided to go at midnight, hopefully when the Reapers guard would be lowered. As everyone prepared for the task, Ellie talked to Joel in their room.

"You sure your plan will work?" she asked.

"It's our only option so far." Joel explained. Deep down, he wondered if Gordon was right. Maybe he _was _crazy for coming up with this idea. He knew how violent the Reapers were. But they couldn't leave without fuel for their vehicles and the Reapers seemed to hold the only supply in the city.

"Then I want to come with you guys." Ellie said in a stern tone.

"Ellie, I don't think that's a good idea."

"But you said to Gordon you needed _all _the help you can get. You can't take this choice away from me, Joel."

The word "choice" stood out to Joel. The last time they had a conversation dealing with the topic was back in Salt Lake City, when Ellie found out about Joel's lie and how he took the important choice from her helping to find a vaccine. He wanted to keep Ellie's trust and allow her to grow up and make her own choices. But he knew the terrible things she'd been through, especially concerning the Reapers. Her words on wanting to kill the group herself still sent shivers down his spine. Joel was afraid her impulsiveness would eventually lead to her demise.

"I don't feel comfortable with you coming with us. Especially with those Reapers around. Besides, you'd be much safer in the here." Joel explained. "Do you understand?"

Ellie lowered her head in disappointment. She began to complain. "Yeah, I get it. You don't trust me."

"It's _nothing _like that-"

"Of course it is! You assume once we reach the Reapers I'm gonna go crazy and kill all of them. Well, maybe I will! But those bastards _deserve _to die! You know that, Joel! How could you not agree with me?" Ellie remarked angrily. She felt betrayed by Joel's opposition. Ellie stomped out of the room, leaving Joel by himself. He rubbed his forehead, unsure of what to do about the situation.

_What am I going to do with you?_

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long chapter! I exceeded the word count I always aim for. But because this is the start of the Summer saga, I think I can get away with leaving in a few extra words. The whole point of this chapter is to set the mood for the rest of this saga and establish more of a connection between Joel's group and the Saratoga group, plus remind us about the main antagonist, the Reapers, and how important their role to the story will be.**

**Thanks for reading! Bye for now! :D**

* * *

_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~**_


	8. SUMMER - Authority

**-CHAPTER 8: AUTHORITY-**

**-SUMMER SAGA-**

The darkness of midnight enveloped Las Vegas. Normally, the city would be shining with life; neon lights from the buildings would sparkle across the streets while tourists would hustle around and enjoy the scenic night. That was before days were dedicated to survival. Now, the streets were quiet as the abandoned hotels and casinos loomed in silence.

"Keep quiet," Joel whispered to his comrades, consisting of Tommy, Gordon, Mark and Roselyn. They headed to Luxor Hotel, where the Reapers were based at for the moment. "Remember, all we have to do is sneak inside and take their fuel supply."

"Easier said than done, don't you think?" Roselyn remarked. She swung around her crowbar in circles to her side.

"Jesus, woman. Careful where you swing that thing!" Tommy warned her. He'd been following behind Roselyn and felt uneasy thinking the crowbar could clock him in the face any moment.

"This _thing _has a name, you know."

"Well I'm sorry if I forgot. Her name is Lucy, right? Well, I'm sure Lucy would appreciate it if you stopped swinging her like that!" Tommy spoke sarcastically. Roselyn simply glared back at him as she placed the crowbar back in her bag.

"Remind me why _I _had to come?" Mark asked, turning to his father. Gordon patted his son on the back, reminding how Joel practically _begged _for their help to retrieve the fuel cans. Mark chuckled. "I shouldn't be surprised. Guess Joel was too much of a _wuss _to go by himself. On the other hand, he was at least smart to ask for _our _help."

"First of all, I did_ not_ beg. I asked you guys politely," Joel defended himself. He easily got annoyed by the Wilson's arrogance. The father and son wouldn't shut up, would they? "Secondly, I have my reasons for asking for help. You have no idea how dangerous these Reapers are."

"Hmph! You're over exaggerating! Just shows how cowardly you are. Man up, Joel!" Gordon remarked with a snarky attitude. Joel gritted his teeth. He tried to tolerate Gordon's behaviour, but the longer he spent time with him, the more he wanted to clobber him in the face.

_Sheesh. Are all British people like this?_

The group soon reached Luxor Hotel. The area appeared as if a piece of Egypt was dropped into the city. The hotel was a staggering pyramid with many glass panels across the sides, which were either intact or broken to shards. A giant Sphinx sat in front of the hotel as a path decorated with palm trees passed by the statue leading towards the entrance. The group hid behind the obelisk situated by the street in front of the hotel. At the moment, there were no signs of any Reapers around.

"Now does everyone remember the plan?" Joel asked them. The group nodded. "Okay. Roselyn and Mark, make sure you come in as quickly as you can once Tommy gives you the signal."

"You've got it, boss." Roselyn answered.

Joel, Tommy and Gordon quietly headed towards the entrance to the hotel. As they were low on ammunition, their best option was to sneak through and avoid detection by the Reapers. Joel and Tommy were aware how powerful the enemy's firepower was, and if they ever got into a shootout, the trio would be hilariously outmatched.

"Shit... A pair of them just came out." Joel informed them. The Reapers walked out of the hotel and stood guard in front of the entrance. They wore their usual skull masks and both wielded assault rifles.

"What's your plan, brother?" Tommy asked him. Joel looked around them to see if they could use anything to distract the Reapers. Finding nothing, he turned to Gordon and asked to borrow his shoe.

"Like I would lend you _my _shoe! Use your own!" Gordon snapped.

Joel rolled his eyes. No way would he argue with Gordon again. Taking his shoe off, he aimed in the direction of the Reapers and threw his shoe a few feet next to the door, causing it to smash against the glass of the hotel. As the two Reapers were distracted, Joel and Tommy ran up and held them by their necks. The Reapers struggled in their arms as they gasped for air and were soon strangled to death.

"Hmph! I could have done that." Gordon spoke, giving an unimpressed look.

"Quit complaining!" Tommy argued back. As Joel retrieved his shoe, Tommy took both the assault rifles the Reapers dropped and handed one to his brother. The rifles were loaded with full rounds, which would be useful later in case they were attacked.

"Hey! Why must you _nitwits _take the guns for yourselves?" Gordon complained.

"Now is not the time, Gordon!" Joel talked back. "Besides, you have that shotgun of yours. So stop complaining!"

The trio entered the hotel and gazed inside. The lobby had statues of Egyptian pharaohs placed along with the palm trees planted to the side of the pillar walls designed to look like pyramid ruins. The hotel had a large atrium roof, essentially making the building appear to be one gigantic room. The hotel rooms were built within the angled walls as rows of the doors lined up across the balconies.

"Now remember, we can't let the Reapers know we are here." Joel reminded them. He took a moment to think where the Reapers would hide the fuel cans. He decided to check in the casino room. Various gambling areas such as poker tables and slot machines filled the place. Some had been flipped over due to the deterioration over the years. The casino seemed spacious without the usual sight of people crowding around the area.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone around here." Tommy commented. He was uncertain to think that was a good or bad sign. Just then, the sound of a shotgun echoed out. Joel and Tommy turned behind them to see Gordon standing in front of a dead Reaper by a poker table. He had his shotgun pointed to the corpse as smoke emitted from the recently fired barrel.

"That stupid twit thought he could hide from me, eh?" Gordon remarked, smiling at the satisfaction of his kill.

"Son of a bitch! Gordon, do you realize what you just did?" Tommy yelled at him. Suddenly they heard shouts echo out from the casino room. A group of Reapers popped out from the room balconies above and began shooting at them. The three men ducked behind the slot machines for cover. Tommy began to shout at Gordon. "You see that? You blew our cover!"

"Is that how you thank someone who stopped a Reaper from sneaking up on you? What a load of bollocks!" Gordon shouted back. The two began to argue with each other as the sounds of bullets filled the casino room.

"Both of you need to focus!" Joel shouted. He took out his assault rifle and prepared it. He waited for the gunfire to pause and peeked out from behind the slot machines, shooting back at the Reapers above. He managed to hit one of them as they shouted in pain and flipped over the balcony.

"You take this side while I take the other." Tommy told his brother. Taking his weapon out, he sneaked closer to the balcony on the other side and shot back at the Reapers from there.

"What the bloody hell do I do?" Gordon shouted as he sat against the slot machines, clutching his shotgun in suspense. Joel motioned him to take the assault rifle from the Reaper he shot and help them fight. Gordon crawled over and grabbed the assault rifle. He joined Joel and Tommy as they shot back at the Reapers. As they fired, a few of the Reapers jumped down from the balconies and headed towards them.

"Watch out! A few of them are on our level!" Tommy warned them.

"Gordon! Keep firing at the ones on the balcony, I'll handle these guys!" Joel demanded. As Gordon continued firing, Joel ran towards the Reapers on their level, using the slot machines and tables as cover. As he got close to them he opened fire, taking out most of the Reapers, save for one as Joel ran out of ammo. Throwing the assault rifle aside, Joel quickly tackled the lone Reaper onto the ground and removed their mask, pummelling their face in with it.

"Where are you hiding the fuel cans?" Joel demanded. He stared down at the Reaper's face, which was covered with blood from the bludgeoning. When they did not answer him, Joel continued to beat their face in more, causing it to physically dent as more blood covered them. "Answer me!"

"They're in... the theatre..." the Reaper gurgled out. Using the last of their strength, they pointed to a double doorway over at the other end of the casino.

"Cover me! I know where the fuel tanks are!" Joel shouted back to Tommy and Gordon. Taking the ammo from the fallen Reapers, he started towards the theatre when suddenly the doors to it opened. A tall man with a muscular body slowly walked out. They sported a ballistic vest and sturdy riot armour over their entire body, along with their bulletproof skull mask. With the armour they sported, they looked like a terminator robot from the far future. What made the Reaper stand out was the mini-gun they lugged in front of them. The chain of bullets dragged across the floor as the Reaper headed towards Joel.

"That ain't good!" Joel shouted. He turned and ran back as the Reaper fired their mini-gun at him. The bullets rapidly shot through the room, destroying everything in it's path. Joel rolled out of the way and hid behind a fallen table. He peeked over it, watching as the Reaper headed towards him intimidatingly in a slow manner.

_Son of a bitch. How am I gonna handle this guy?_

* * *

"How long are they going to take?" Roselyn spoke. She and Mark sat against the obelisk for the past few minutes as they waited for Tommy's signal.

"Shut your mouth and be more patient, woman." Mark told her off, giving an annoyed look. Roselyn gave him a weird look.

"I was just asking a question. Don't get all pissy about it."

The two both may have been in their mid-twenties, but that didn't mean they got along very well. Mark was very cold to others, except for his family. He hated everyone else and his aggressive and blunt anger originated mostly from his father. The experience from growing up in the infected world helped shape his attitude and way of life. In Roselyn's case, she seemed to take things less seriously and kept things on the positive side. She was able to adapt to the world much more quickly than others. She spent most of her days taking care of herself and learned valuable surviving skills, such as fighting, parkour and quick-thinking.

"Did you hear that?" Roselyn said. She stood up and took out her crowbar, gripping it tightly with both hands. She heard rustling from the bushes a few feet away from them. Mark took out his sniper rifle and loaded it. The two cautiously walked up to the bush. Suddenly, Ellie popped out, causing Roselyn and Mark to jolt in surprise.

"Oh, hey guys." Ellie greeted them.

"What are you doing out here, kid? You know you're supposed to stay back at the hotel." Roselyn asked her. Ellie ignored her and headed towards the entrance to Luxor hotel. "Hey kid! That's probably not a smart thing to do."

Ellie continued ignoring them. Suddenly, she was grabbed on the arm by Mark. The man gave her a furious look. "Listen, you little brat! You can't run around like you own the place. Now go back to the hotel before I lug you there myself!"

"Let go of me!"" Ellie shouted, struggling in Mark's grasp. Roselyn convinced him to let go of Ellie. She began to argue at them. "You guys just don't understand how serious this situation is."

"What are you talking about? We're here to pick up some gas, that's all." Roselyn explained.

"It may _sound _simple, but do you have_ any_ idea about the people who took our fuel?" Ellie waited for them to respond. "They're monsters. Fucking monsters who are _much_ worse than the infected."

"I'm sure those _monsters _have their own reasons." Roselyn debated. "I mean, the world_ has_ been in shit for more than 20 years. In the end, we're all just survivors."

Ellie could only give a disgusted look at Roselyn. How could she have the nerve to defend the Reapers? Did she have any clue about them? "They aren't survivors. They are murderers who only care about themselves. And I'm going to teach them a lesson."

"Excuse me? Exactly _how_ are you going to teach them a lesson?"

"By killing them, of course."

"Sheesh. That's pretty vicious for a young girl like you. I'd go so far as to say you're _colder t_han Jack Frost over here." Roselyn pointed to Mark, who gave an offended look in response.

"You know what, I don't need to listen to your bullshit. You guys can't stop me." Ellie said. She ran towards Luxor hotel, causing Roselyn and Mark to give chase after her. The trio entered the hotel, only to be welcomed by the sound of gunfire erupting from within.

"Damnit! I guess Joel and the others were spotted." Roselyn remarked. She noticed Ellie heading towards the casino room. "Come on, kid! Slow down!"

"This brat is_ barmy_! What's the matter with her?" Mark commented. Roselyn thought the same thing. They didn't seem to be aware of the horrible things Ellie had been through concerning the Reapers. All they could assume was that she was a little crazy in the head.

Ellie entered the casino room, witnessing the crossfire happening at the moment. She hid behind the doorway and watched as Tommy and Gordon shot at the Reapers from the balcony. Across the room was a Reaper with a mini-gun in their hands. They closed in on Joel, who hid behind a fallen table. Ellie cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted to get the Reaper's attention. "Hey asshole! Over here!"

The Reaper stopped and turned to her. At first glimpse of the skull mask, Ellie suddenly froze in shock. Seeing the familiar mask reminded her of the horrors that the Reapers pressed upon her when she and Joel were captured. Ellie started to feel dizzy as her vision began to blur. Her breathing became short and heavy as she began to lose her balance. As she experienced the panic attack, the Reaper pointed their mini-gun at her and opened fire.

"No! Ellie!" Joel screamed.

Luckily, Roselyn came to Ellie's rescue. She tackled the girl onto the ground behind cover as the bullets fired in their direction. At the same time, Mark aimed his sniper rifle towards the Reaper and shot in their direction, hitting them on their exposed hand. The Reaper yelled in pain, dropping the mini-gun on the ground.

Joel took the opportunity to tackle the Reaper onto the ground. Unfortunately, the Reaper was strong enough to throw him off, causing Joel to slam through the theatre doors. He quickly got onto his feet and looked around the abandoned theatre. The area was empty and dirty, with some of the chairs torn apart and the stage lights broken on the ground. Up on the stage were the pile of fuel tanks Joel's group had been looking for. There was plenty enough to fill a dozen trucks.

_We just need a few of these and get the hell out of here._

As Joel headed towards the stage, the theatre doors barged open and in came the mini-gun wielding Reaper. They shot towards Joel, who quickly dove behind a row of seats. Joel kept his whole body low as the bullets shot through the seats.

"I know who you are." the Reaper suddenly spoke. He talked with a deep, Brooklyn accent. Joel quietly crawled past the theatre seats, listening to the heavy steps of the Reaper, each split apart with an agonizing pause. "You're the man who escaped from Jackson County, are you?"

_How does he know that?_

"You were the one who killed Richard and his men as well, hmm?" the Reaper spoke. He slowly looked down across the row of seats, searching for Joel. "You are also the one who has that immune _girl_ with you, am I right?"

"How do you know all of this!?" Joel shouted. By that moment, he reached the end of the row of seats and began to sneak his way towards the stage where the fuel cans still sat. A creepy laugh emitted from the Reaper.

"Where are you going?" the Reaper spoke.

Joel peeked over to the other side of the theatre and gave a shocked look to see the Reaper running on top of the seats at a lightning pace. He reached Joel in a matter of seconds and pinned him against the wall. The Reaper stared at him with his skull mask for a few moments. Slowly, he took it off and revealed his face. The man had almost a tanned face covered with wrinkles to show his age and jet-black hair slicked back. A large scar made up of fungus bumps covered his left eye. The man grinned at Joel.

"I am the almighty Ross. I am the one and only commander of the Reapers."

Joel struggled against Ross, but he could not break free from the man's grip. He felt weak as a mouse pinned down by a much stronger animal. The commander was amused by his attempts to escape.

"This is the power of the vaccine our scientists have managed to conjure up. Your strength is _puny _compared to my enhanced abilities." Ross explained. He grabbed Joel by the neck and was able to lift him off the ground with one hand. He threw Joel on the ground, causing him to roll towards the theatre stage. "Our vaccine is a blessing. With the ability to control the cordyceps in our bodies, we've become a new hybrid of supreme beings. The infection is _not_ a curse. It is a gift that we must learn to embrace."

"Listen to what you're saying!" Joel coughed as he struggled to stand up. He realized how corrupt the Reapers were. _They think the infection is a blessing? This vaccine has made them delusional!_

"You are naive to what this vaccine is capable of." Ross stated. He walked up to Joel and picked him up by the neck once again and began to choke him. "This is why we must murder people like you who oppose us! You aren't fit to live and adapt to this world. The cordyceps has shown us the light. It has helped us evolve into a much stronger generation of humans! If you do not believe that, then you deserve to die!"

Joel could only flail his legs helplessly in the air, trapped by Ross's grip. As his vision dimmed, he caught a glimpse of a figure sneaking up behind the Reaper commander.

"LET HIM GO!" Ellie shouted. She pounced on the back of Ross and stabbed him on the shoulder with her switchblade. Ross growled in pain as he dropped Joel. He struggled to throw Ellie off his back, but she stuck like glue on him. Ross threw himself against the wall, slamming Ellie between them. She fell on the floor and began to cough from the impact.

"You impulsive little girl! How dare you sneak up on me?" Ross roared angrily as he held a hand over to his wound. It took him a moment to recognize her. "Wait a minute. Red-auburn hair. You are none other than the _immune_ girl."

"How the _fuck _do you know me?!" Ellie coughed out. Before Ross could make a move, the rest of Joel's group barged into the room. Realizing he was outnumbered, Ross fled from the theater using the exit at the back of the stage. He left Joel and Ellie a warning.

"Your luck will run out eventually. The Reapers _will _come back to haunt you!"

"Joel! Ellie! Are you okay?" Tommy called out as the group rushed over to them. The duo assured them they were."We've managed to clear out all the Reapers in the casino. Who the hell was the coward that ran away?"

"It was their leader, Ross." Joel explained. His body still ached from the beating Ross gave him. He helped Ellie up on her feet. He gave her a stern look. "Ellie, what are you doing here? I told you to stay put back at the hotel."

"I couldn't sit back and do nothing, Joel. I had to help, okay?" Ellie defended herself.

"You guys can talk about this later, but now we need to get out of here." Roselyn reminded them. The others agreed. Joel pointed them to the supply of gas cans left on the theater stage by the Reapers. The group took as many as they could carry and left Luxor Hotel, heading back to Caeser's Palace where the rest of their group waited. Joel, Tommy and Gordon refilled their vehicles as the others prepared to leave.

"Blimey! I can't believe we made it out of there alive." Gordon spoke. He gave Joel a scowl look. "I _never_ should have agreed to come along with you twits. I almost got killed!"

"Shut up, Gordon! If Joel didn't come up with a plan, we would have never gotten fuel for our vehicles!" Tommy shouted back. He looked over to Joel. "So what's the plan now?"

"We're leaving." Joel explained. He wanted to get his group out of Las Vegas. Ross's last words stuck with Joel. There was no doubt the leader would round up a group of his Reapers and hunt them down, so Joel had to get his group as far away from them as possible and find a safe place. Los Angeles would still be their option. With plenty of fuel in store, they would reach the city in a few hours.

_God forbid those Reapers come after us._

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

* * *

**A/N: A new character is in the mix: Ross, leader of the Reapers! ****A short bio on him has been posted on my profile to give insight on his character. **He may not seem like a _big _threat at first, but I can promise you, this man is going to give _hell _to the group in the future. 

**Speaking of the group, it seems like you guys are enjoying the original characters so far, with the exception of Gordon, which I was hoping you guys would hate on. Haha! My plan worked after all! ;)****  
**

**But just a fair warning. Don't get _too_ comfortable with all of them. This story is all about the emotional journey Joel and Ellie will face with this group. Expect the worst to come to these characters.**

**Thanks for all your support! Bye for now! :D**

* * *

_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~**_


	9. SUMMER - Dead End

**-CHAPTER 9: DEAD END-**

**-SUMMER SAGA-**

After fleeing from the Reapers in Las Vegas, Joel and his group arrived in Los Angeles in a matter of hours. The survivors hoped to find the proposed safe zone within the city, but all that welcomed them was the eerie silence of the streets and the deterioration of the buildings as nature took over. The group decided to rest inside the Staples Center. Before, it used to be full of spectators who watched major events, such as sports games or concerts. Now the giant stadium was used as a momentary shelter for the small group of survivors.

At the moment, the group used the arena as a camp. They laid their sleeping bags in the centre of the floor and took the moment to rest after last night's events.

"I can't believe how many people this place could hold." Ellie said. Her voice echoed throughout the arena. She sat atop her sleeping bag and gazed around to the endless number of seats surrounding them. She turned to Alice, who was falling asleep in her sleeping bag. "How many seats do you think are in here, Alice?

"It's hard for me to see." Alice responded. Ellie chuckled.

"Same. I wouldn't have the patience to count them anyway. My guess would be about a hundred."

"That's some _nice _math you've got there, kiddo." Roselyn responded. She lied on her sleeping bag a few feet away from Ellie, tinkering away on her broken walkie-talkie. "Didn't they teach you _any_ algebra in those military schools?"

"No. All I did was get beat up." Ellie replied. She raised an eyebrow to Roselyn. "How about you? Did you learn anything at your schools?"

"Nope. The only education I got was from kindergarten. After that, all I focused on was surviving in this world. I'm sure the same thing applies to you."

Ellie nodded. She turned to see where Joel was. At the moment, he was huddled around with Tommy, Bruce and Gordon, discussing their next course of action. Joel gave his thoughts. "We need to start looking for this safe zone. I suggest heading towards the downtown area. Most of the military would have gathered the citizens there along with the supplies."

"Sounds like a good place to start. I'll go and look there first thing in the morning." Bruce said. "I'd appreciate if one of you would accompany me."

"Count me out. I still feel _wonky _after what happened last night." Gordon excused himself. His experience with the Reapers was suspenseful. There was no way he'd throw himself into possible danger again.

"I'll go with you." Joel volunteered.

"You sure about that? I'm fully capable of going if you need me to." Tommy said. Joel patted him on the shoulder.

"It's fine, little brother. You need the rest as much as me. Bruce and I can handle this." Things were settled. The men decided to rest until the next day. With a safe place like the stadium, they wouldn't need to worry about any threats for the time being and they had enough supplies to sustain them for the next few hours. Joel joined Ellie as she lied in her sleeping bag reading a book at the moment.

"Hey." she greeted him.

"Now what's that you've got there?" Joel asked, pointing to the book in her hands.

"It's _Of Mice and Men. _Bruce gave it to me. It's actually not a bad read." Ellie answered. She finished the sentence she was on, closed the book and sat up. "So what's up?"

"Bruce and I are planning to scout around the city and find this safe zone. Once we do, we'll gather everything and bring all of you there."

"What if we don't find the safe zone? What happens then?"

"We'll keep looking. But I promise you we'll find someplace safe for us." Joel told her. He noticed Ellie's eye glisten with hope, which made him smile. Joel suddenly sighed and took a seat beside her. "Look, I want to talk about what happened back in Las Vegas."

"Joel, I've already apologized to you like a thousand times. I'm sorry I disobeyed you."

"It's not about that. I'm talking about what happened in the casino." Joel recalled to the crossfire they had with the Reapers. In the heat of the moment, Ellie appeared. When she took her first glance at the Reapers, she experienced a panic attack and almost got herself killed. "You didn't look too well when I saw you there. What happened?"

"I don't know. I just looked at their masks and I suddenly felt dizzy." Ellie explained. She had no idea what happened to her. "It's like something triggered inside me. Do _you _have any idea what happened to me?"

Joel didn't answer her question, but he knew what she'd went through. Ellie was still affected by her first encounter with the Reapers back in Jackson. She just wasn't aware of the effects. She thought she was getting over the trauma and had replaced her fear with anger against the Reapers, but in reality, her mind subconsciously still associated them in horrific ways.

"Ellie, I just want you to know you don't have to be scared."

"I'm not scared anymore, Joel. Don't worry about me."

_Oh, baby girl... I still and will always worry..._

* * *

The next day arrived as Joel and Bruce left the group and headed towards downtown Los Angeles. It took them over an hour to arrive in the area. A majority of the routes they took were blocked by vehicles and barricades made to fend off against the infected. Fortunately, Joel and Bruce encountered no threats along the way, which seemed a little odd to them. They quietly drove around the streets, trying to find where the proposed safe zone lied.

"I don't see it." Joel spoke. He sat in the passenger seat as Bruce drove his vehicle. Their bags were in the back seats, carrying their weapons and ammo in case they ran into danger.

"Just keep your eyes peeled. The safe zone has to be around here somewhere." Bruce told him.

Joel sighed as he looked out the window, gazing up to the destroyed buildings skewed at an angle. They reminded him of Boston, causing Joel to reflect on his journey. He couldn't believe he had made it from the east side of the country all the way to the west. This was all due to his determination to find a safe haven for him, Ellie and his new group.

"When was the last time you heard about this safe zone?" Joel asked. Bruce lowered his head and gave an uneasy look.

"If I recall, it was at the end of March."

"That was a few months ago. A lot of shit can happen between then and now. Are you _sure _there really is a safe zone around here?"

Bruce sighed. "I must confess to you. We weren't exactly _told _about this information. Before my wife and I met up with the group, we were back up in Nebraska, fending for only ourselves. We had found this note in a house we were scavenging in. It talked about how the family inside received a transmission from their radio. A voice told them how they formed a large safe zone in Los Angeles. Any survivors who arrived were guaranteed survival."

Joel noticed how Bruce shook his head, as if bothered by something.

"The thing is... the family was long dead. Their bodies were left inside the house. Each one had a bullet in their heads. They weren't overrun by any Runners. They didn't commit suicide. They were _killed _by hunters. They died with the hope of finding a sanctuary for them. It was not fair to them, you know? They had their _chance _taken away from them."

"Then why did the family write the note in the first place?" Joel asked. Bruce could only shrug.

"The note was written by the father before he died." Bruce further explained. "It was held tightly in his hands. His daughter... his daughter was tucked in the other. It's like he wanted others to know about this safe zone. Knowing he was dying with his daughter by his side, he wanted to give someone else a chance to be safe. You don't see that much humility in this world, I can tell you."

"Yeah. We don't." Joel agreed. Bruce's story caused him to reflect on his own actions he committed in the past. He was brutal towards others and did whatever it took for his own survival. There was not one clear moment in his memory where he helped someone else simply to be kind. Was he really a cruel monster? It wasn't his fault. The plague shaped him to become something he didn't want to become.

But then he remembered about his group, more specifically, Ellie. He was willing to do anything to protect them. Hell, he'd been risking his ass for the past weeks to find them a safe place. To start a new life. Joel wasn't selfish as he thought he was. This safe zone, this group, this _girl _he was taking care of, would redeem his horrific actions he had committed in the past.

"I _want _to find the safe zone. Not only for the well-being of our group, but to fulfill the dying wish of that dead family." Bruce said.

"We will." Joel assured.

The duo drove through downtown Los Angeles for another hour. They began to lose hope when they could not find any sign of the safe zone. Fortunately, their luck changed when they came across a gigantic, metal wall sprawled across the street. There was a large hole created in the side leading into the safe zone, which seemed out of place. Joel and Bruce drove up to the hole and exited the vehicle, bringing their belongings with them.

"Do you think this is it?" Joel asked.

"It has to be." Bruce answered. "Let's see if anyone is inside."

The two cautiously entered the area. They expected to be stopped by a few military guards, but oddly enough, there was no one there. The inside of the zone appeared the same as the rest of Los Angeles. They scoured the streets, trying to find any other survivors. But there was no one there.

"What's going on? Why is there nobody here?" Bruce demanded. He cupped his hands and shouted. "Hello! Is anybody here?"

Silence.

"This can't be happening. This _has _to be some kind of joke." Joel said. He began to pace around in a panicked state. If this was the safe zone, why wasn't there anybody there? Were they all hiding? Joel recalled to the hole in the wall they entered through. Why exactly was it there in the first place?

"Hold on, I hear something." Bruce said. The two stood there in silence and heard a noise coming from the street around the corner. Hoping to find somebody, Joel and Bruce headed in the direction of the noise. Their hope quickly turned into shock as they were greeted by a large herd of Runners overcrowding the streets.

"Son of a bitch!" Joel shouted. The Runners turned and lunged towards them. Joel and Bruce did not hesitate to run away. The streets filled with thunderous footsteps and the duo desperately tried to escape from the herd.

"Quick! Take the alley!" Bruce said. The two ran into an alleyway, only to notice it was a dead end. "Damn it! We're trapped!"

"No, we're not." Joel pointed over to a ladder hanging over a few feet from them, which was attached to a fire escape. The ladder was too high for them to reach. He looked around for something to give them a boost. Joel found a dumpster tucked in the alleyway corner. He grabbed it and started pushing it underneath the fire escape, only to be caught off-guard by a Clicker hidden behind the dumpster. It grabbed Joel by the shoulders and attempted to bite him.

"Hang on!" Bruce shouted. He quickly grabbed the fire axe from his backpack, aimed at the Clicker's head, and swung forcefully. The axe cut through the Clicker's head, splattering the fungus into many directions as a huge crack was left in it's head. Joel pushed the lifeless Clicker onto the ground and wiped away some of the fungus off his shirt.

"Good aim." Joel said to Bruce, thanking him.

"No problem. Now let's get out of this alleyway."

Joel and Bruce hurriedly pushed the dumpster beneath the fire escape. As they climbed on top of it, the infected soon reached them and ran down the alleyway. The two climbed onto the fire escape, raising the ladder up so the infected could not climb up with them. Joel and Bruce watched as the infected bashed on the dumpster as their roars filled the alleyway.

"Shit. That was a close one!" Bruce gasped as he leaned against the railing.

"No time to rest. We still need to get out of here." Joel reminded him. They two made their way up the fire escape and climbed onto the rooftop. They took the moment to catch their breath and gazed around the safe zone. It was abandoned. No survivors could be spotted anywhere. Not even the military. All that was left were the infected to roam the streets.

"How could this happen? This was supposed to be a safe area. How could the infected take over?" Bruce pondered. Joel thought the same. He looked over to the zone's wall, which was only a few blocks away from them. Could the infected have entered through there? But what made the hole in the first place? No amount of infected could be strong enough to make a dent through a sturdy structure.

"Those _fucking _Reapers." Joel grumbled. It all made sense. He recalled to the night the Reapers attacked Jackson. After ridding the area of civilians, the Reapers released a group of Runners into the town. There was no doubt the Reapers made their way to Los Angeles before and did the same thing.

"Why would they do this?" Bruce asked.

"They're brainwashed to think they're the only people capable of living in this world." Joel explained. He decided to show Bruce the vaccine he retrieved from their camp. The golden liquid shined in the sun as Joel swished it around in its vial. "This vaccine is what gave them their strength. It's what made them crazy."

"These Reapers must be stopped." Bruce stated. "Imagine all the innocent people living in this zone. One minute they're minding their own business, next thing they're hiding from men who wish to kill them. It's like _they _think they're the minions of Death granted to do his own dirty work."

"We need to get back to the others." Joel said. "Los Angeles is lost."

* * *

"Look what I found!" Mark exclaimed. He entered the arena of the Staples Center, holding a basketball in his hand. The rest of the group waited around for Joel and Bruce to return. Tommy and Gordon had ventured into the other parts of the building, hoping to find more supplies. Mark began bouncing it on the gymnasium. "Blimey! I haven't played around with any balls ever since my younger days as a child."

"You touched _balls _when you were a child? Ugh! That's more than we need to know!" Roselyn shouted down to him, causing Ellie to chuckle. The two were seated in the upper rows of the stadium.

"Sod off, you wankers!" Mark yelled back to them. He held the basketball to his side for a second as he flipped the middle finger towards them.

"Mark! Do _not _do that in front of the children. You're an adult! I expect better from you!" Natalie lectured him. She had been watching from the other side of the gymnasium. Mark completely ignored her as he began dribbling the basketball around. Natalie simply sighed. "How can someone his age show so much disrespect?"

"Well, he _is_ the son of Gordon. It's pretty obvious, if you ask me." Maria explained to her. Natalie nodded her head. She looked over to Alice, who sat alone in the seats closer to the gymnasium.

"I'm just glad his daughter hasn't exhibited the same behaviour yet. Even if she may be the youngest, she appears much calmer and more mature than either men." Natalie commented.

"But the girl looks so lonely whenever I see her." Maria said. The two woman looked back to Alice. She didn't seem to notice them staring at her. Instead, she stared in the blank space in front of her, with an emotionless expression covering her face. "Sometimes I wonder what's going through the child's mind."

Meanwhile, Kyle was busy sketching the entire inside of the arena. He sat in the top rows of the seats for a better view. Charlie took a seat beside his owner and focused his attention on the arena floor as Mark was making shots with the basketball he found. The dog especially kept its attention on the ball, bobbing its head in sync with the ball bouncing.

"Hey there." Ellie greeted them, walking up to the duo. She kneeled onto the seat in front of Kyle to face him. "So whatcha doin'?"

Kyle didn't answer her. Ellie rolled her eyes. Noticing his feet were resting on top of the seat she kneeled on, Ellie grabbed both of his feet and pulled them down, causing Kyle to yelp as he was dragged out of his seat and fell onto the floor.

"Ow! Hey! That hurt!" Kyle moaned, rubbing his behind as he got up.

"Serves you right for ignoring me again." Ellie teased him. Kyle shook his head at her as he picked up his sketchpad.

"Sorry, I was busy sketching and I didn't hear you."

"You seem to sketch a lot, don't you?" Ellie said. She walked up to him and looked over to the gymnasium sketch he was currently working on. "Hmph, looks okay so far. Could use a little more shadowing on the backboards, if you ask me."

"Since when did you become a certified art critique?"

"Well, _someone _needs to provide feedback to your work. And what better person to do it than me?" Ellie put her hands to her hips as she grinned at Kyle.

"Oh great, how _lucky _of me to have you criticize my work. _Yipee!_" Kyle spoke in a teasing tone. He waved his hands around to the side in a sarcastic manner as if he was excited, causing Ellie to playfully push him back. Kyle grinned back to her. "Hey! I was only kidding!"

"I know you were."

"Then why'd you push me?"

"Because you looked stupid doing _this." _Ellie mimicked his hand gesture, adding a funny expression on her face.

"Okay, you're over exaggerating." Kyle said. "I did _not _make that face."

"You still looked stupid, though." Ellie remarked. The two took a seat beside each other and watched as Mark continued to shoot hoops on the gymnasium floor below. "You've ever played basketball before?"

Kyle shook his head. He turned towards Charlie beside him. "How about you?"

"Are you seriously talking to your dog?" Ellie asked,

"Yeah. Dogs can understand human language. Watch." Kyle whistled to Charlie and pointed down below. "Fetch, boy!" Charlie gave a bark and quickly jumped out of his seat and ran down the stairs. He rushed over to Mark and snatched the ball out of his hands. Charlie quickly ran back to duo and dropped the ball onto Ellie's lap.

"Whoa, that's awesome!" Ellie grinned. She rolled the ball in her hands and began to pat Charlie on the head.

"What the _fuck_ was that about!" Mark yelled at the duo as he shook his hand towards them. Natalie began to lecture him again about using foul behaviour. "But Mrs. Parker! It wasn't my fault this time! It was your son and that red-headed twit!"

"That does not excuse you of using foul language!" Natalie lectured him.

"Your mom is so cool, you know?" Ellie said. Kyle simply nodded.

"Hey, you mind if I ask you something?" Kyle said. He turned towards Ellie and took a moment to find his words. "So... remember back in Las Vegas? When Joel and the others went to get the gasoline cans? Why did you end up following them? You know how risky that was, right?"

Ellie's head lowered for a moment. She sighed. "I couldn't sit there and do nothing. I wanted to help." She decided to hide her true motive from Kyle. Killing the Reapers for what they did to her was a big priority. But it was personal. It was nothing Kyle had to be aware of. "Why are you even asking?"

"...I've never seen someone like you do something _so _idiotic." Kyle explained to her, giving a soft chuckle. His words seemed to hurt Ellie. How could he say that? She crossed her arms in annoyance and was about to leave when Kyle stopped her. "Wait! Hear me out!"

"Why should I? You just called me an idiot."

"Listen, what you did _was _stupid... but it was a really brave thing to do. Like I said, I've never seen anyone do that before. I kinda _like_ that, though. It makes you _different, _but in a good way."

"Really?" Ellie asked. Kyle nodded his head and gave an awkward smile, hoping his compliment would outweigh the stupid remark he made to her. Luckily, Ellie did appreciate his comment. This weird boy she'd only met a few days ago agitated her, but there were times she really came to like his attitude. Ellie found herself looking away from him in timidness. A sudden "fluttery" feeling began to overwhelm her body. She felt blood rush to her face. Ellie could only question what was happening to her.

_Why the hell do I feel like this?_

"Bruce! Joel! You're back!" Jenny expressed in gratitude. The two men entered the arena. She ran towards her husband and they embraced each other for a moment. Jenny began to feel around his shirt and noticed the blood stains on it. "What happened out there? Are you okay?"

"We're fine. We just came across some infected, that's all." Bruce explained to his wife. At the same time, Tommy and Gordon entered the arena.

"Joel! How'd you guys do? Did you find the safe zone?" Tommy asked.

"We did... but... it was overrun with infected. There was no one alive left. They're all dead." Joel explained. He watched as a rush of disappointment took over the group. Their hopes had been crushed. "This was all the Reapers' doing. They invaded the safe zone exactly like they did to Jackson. They were the ones who let the infected in."

"So where do we go now?" Maria asked.

"The real question we should be thinking is where _can _we go now!" Gordon corrected her. He stomped his foot in anger. "Jesus, those Reapers probably plagued half the cities in the country at this point! Why, I oughta' shove my machete up their asses the next time I see their sorry faces!"

"Gordon! Please! Quit with the foul language! Your daughter is right here!" Natalie pleaded with Gordon.

"How dare you argue with me, woman! I don't care if she hears me spit out the most explicit of words! You see me as a terrible role model, but all I'm doing is trying to protect her! Who even _allowed_ you to give concern to how I act around_ my _own daughter? Your not even her _fucking _mother!" Gordon yelled. He breathed heavily as he shoved his face towards Natalie's, causing her to back away in both fear and pity. The rest of the group stood back in silence. They were struck with awe from Gordon's words. It was the first time he showed the slightest care for something. Normally, he was angry, but this time, there was a small sign of distress showing through him.

"Please stop shouting, daddy. I don't like it when you're mad." Alice spoke up. Gordon turned to his daughter. She held her hands together over her chest in a begging manner. The sight of her standing up to him calmed his anger for a moment. He regained control of his breathing and turned silent. It was a rare moment for the group to see from Gordon.

"Look, I know this seems like a dead end for us, but we can't give up hope. There _has _to be a safe place for us somewhere. We just have to keep looking." Joel reasoned with the group. The others were unsure about his words. Los Angeles was their only option, and with it gone, they felt hopeless. What were they supposed to do now?

"I may have a suggestion." Roselyn spoke. "If my memory recalls, Malibu is only a few miles away from Los Angeles. Why don't we try heading there?"

"What's a Malibu?" Ellie asked in curiosity.

"It's a city by the coast." Joel explained. He slowly walked up to Roselyn and showed interest in her idea. "What makes you think we should go there?"

"Well, first of all, they have these _really _nice looking mansions there." Roselyn exclaimed. Her face brightened in delight as she imagined the luxury of the mansions in her head. "Plus, the area is significantly smaller. Think about it: everyone in the world focused on heading to the major cities for the safety and resources. Over time, the smaller cities could be left untouched. Less infected roaming the streets. More untouched supplies for us to grab."

"That must be the most dim-witted idea I've ever heard!" Mark criticized her. Roselyn rolled her eyes at him.

"I'd like to see you think of something better then, ball boy!"

"What do you think, Joel? You think that's a risk we should take? Scouting out Malibu?" Tommy asked his brother. Joel was unsure about Roselyn's idea. They were in need of supplies and low on gas. If Malibu wasn't resourceful as she said it would be, then the group would have wasted all their efforts for nothing. But on the other hand, Malibu could be a goldmine of untouched supplies and a possible safe haven. A home. With no other options, what else could they do?

"Everyone get ready. We're heading to Malibu."

**-TO BE CONTINUED-**

* * *

**A/N: A turning point in the story, where the group must now relocate to Malibu. The purpose of Los Angeles was to show how powerful of an effect the Reapers can leave behind in regards to a large city.**

**I have an interesting story arc planned when the group arrives in Malibu. One that may change the whole dynamic between the characters. Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming chapters.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for all your support! Bye for now! :D**

* * *

_**~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc.~**_


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